You'll Never See Me Coming
by Zenappa
Summary: I really thought I would get used to it. The feeling of the air rushing around my skin still took my breath away six months later. Okay, so it wasn't exactly my own skin, but at this point in my career, I considered my suit to be a secondary version of my skin. For once in my life, I was content with my life. I should have known it was too good to be true. #2 in Marvel 2.0 Series.
1. Chapter 1

**YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME COMING**

**EMERALD**

I really thought I would get used to it.

The feeling of the air rushing around my skin still took my breath away six months later. Okay, so it wasn't exactly my own skin, but at this point in my career, I considered my suit to be a secondary version of my skin. It had taken significantly less time than I expected to figure out all of the tricks, but then again, I had some help.

Tony Stark was everything I never knew I needed. I was always the independent one in the past, never wanting to rely on anyone for basically anything. Leave it to him to swoop in, literally, and change all of that. I never thought I would have someone like that at my side. He was someone who loved me unconditionally, someone who was willing to wait for me, someone who was quite seriously the second half of my brain.

Before we joined the Avengers, we were partners in crime, and saving the world felt easy with him. Now, it was that tenfold. It was a weird experience, one that took me quite a long time to get used to, but it was worth it. These past six months were among the best months of my life. I chalked up some of that to the concept of not knowing what events happened next in the universe, and the rest, I figured I would figure out along the way. It wasn't like I was on my own anymore. I didn't need help.

However, current help from Tony was non-existent.

As I glanced over my shoulder, the clouds flying by my vision, I tilted my head to one side. The number of drones that were chasing me was multiplying by the second. Apparently, Mexican terrorists were more technologically advanced than I thought.

"Any day, Tony!" I practically screamed as I looped around in another circle, hoping to collect more of the brainless drones flying after me.

Barely a second passed. "Just a little longer," came Tony's strained response.

I knew by now what his concentration voice sounded like. Still, the drones were preparing to fire, and I wasn't sure how I could dodge fifteen different sets of bullets, no matter how much the suit was equipped for that.

"I don't know how much longer I can be a distraction," I hissed back, diving back up towards the sky. "I swear, if I die, this is your fault." I paused, looking over my shoulder in disdain. "I am not dying when the world thinks of me as the Iron Woman."

The nickname had started soon after the Avengers disbanded. Once the public learned of our relationship, the stories had kicked off like none other. Tony and I tended not to listen the majority of the time, but despite the other rumors that faded into dust, the name stuck.

This was around our thirtieth mission in six months, and while we worked ourselves thin most days, it was worth it. I felt like I was doing something good in this world.

"Well," Tony responded, and I could practically hear the smirk on his face. "You are my other half."

"Shut up," I hissed as a few of the drones began firing in my direction. I paused, shooting a beam of repulsion rays in their direction, taking out a few of them in the process. That was a slight improvement. "What are you even trying to do?" I snapped back at Tony.

A pause relapsed through our communication devices in our suits, and I knew he was back in concentration mode. I set myself a mental reminder not to volunteer as a distraction ever again.

"Just… one…" he muttered. "That."

In a split second, all of the drones that were creeping up on me fell from the sky, crashing into the desert below me. I shouldn't have been surprised. There wasn't a lot that surprised me coming from Tony anymore.

I circled around the compound a few times before JARVIS pointed out Tony's location directly outside one of the back doors. All of the warehouse's defenses were down, and we still had work to do.

I landed directly next to him, but he didn't even flinch. "You know, Iron Woman doesn't fit," I continued to complain. "Someone has to contact the press."

Tony tilted his head to one side, and while I couldn't exactly see the face he was making, I knew he was exasperated with this conversation. "And what would you rather be called?" he asked.

"Iron Man fits," I said as if he hadn't spoken. "It just rolls right off your tongue. Jesus, even War Machine works." I shook my head as JARVIS alerted me of the hostiles within the building, preparing to fire. I knew Tony got the same message as well. It was an unspoken rule that we acted together.

"But Iron Woman?" I continued, despite the blinking messages across the screen in front of my eyes. "I just sound dumb."

"Again, I ask," Tony questioned. "What would you rather be called? Iron Maiden?"

I made an audible retching sound. "Then, I sound like your mother," I replied. "And don't even say Iron Girl either. That's off the table."

"That wasn't the next thing on my mind, but-" Tony teased, but I shot him a glaring look, hoping he was able to get the daggers through the facial slit of the suit.

"No."

The blinking messages about the terrorists inside were overwhelming the suit. I nodded to my partner before I kicked down the door we were standing in front of. Holding out our hands, we accepted the bullets being fired at the suits for about five seconds before I began to power up the hand repulsers as a clear sign of a threat.

"Hands up everyone," I warned.

Before they could even make a move, however, Tony launched his missiles from his shoulder pads, taking down all of the terrorists in the room in a single blow. He was such a show-off.

"You can never do it the diplomatic way, can you?" I said with a sigh.

"Not my style."

I could hear the smirk on Tony's lips as he kicked down the door to the adjacent room almost instantly after his snide comment. I had no choice but to follow him as he grabbed the sole hostile by the neck, holding him against the wall.

"Where's Diego Montez?" he questioned rather aggressively.

I folded my arms across my chest in exasperation. "Munez," I corrected, adding an eye roll for good measure.

"Where's Diego Munez?" he repeated, not even entertaining my comments.

The guy in Tony's arm kept stuttering something incoherent, even with JARVIS's instant language translator. That was one of the most underrated features of the Iron Man suit, I had to say. Still, it was no help finding the one terrorist who was the head of this cell.

Apparently, my internal inquiry was answered as a single bullet lodged itself in the back of Tony's neck, misfiring the suit's capabilities and sending him sprawling to the ground. I instantly spun around, firing back at Diego himself. He fell to the ground at my feet, and I tilted my head to one side in exasperation.

For someone so technologically advanced, he sure wasn't street smart.

"That's not going to fly with me," I scolded him as I continued to hold one arm out in his direction.

Diego apparently wasn't threatened. He spat at my feet, sending me a dirty look. "I will not die at the hands of the Iron Woman," he spoke in perfect English.

"Really?" I questioned in clear aggravation. "Now, you just pissed me off."

Instead of firing towards him, I simply punched the side of his face, instantly knocking him unconscious. That was another bonus of the suit, not having to worry about an injured hand, or any body part for that mattered.

"Miss Maitland," JARVIS spoke, jolting me out of my thoughts. "I have contacted the government police."

"Excellent."

I had another matter to take care of.

Sauntering over to Tony's collapsed suit, I shook my head. If there were any signs of distress or inability to breathe, JARVIS would have alerted me. I snapped my iron clad fingers in front of his face, testing to see if he was actually unconscious or just unable to move.

"Hey," I said. "Tone, it's time to wake up. I don't want to kiss you again."

Several seconds passed with no response. JARVIS did a quick scan of his body, confirming what I already knew to be true.

"Mister Stark seems to be unconscious," he stated matter-of-factly.

I took a step back, popping up the lid of my helmet with a sigh. "How lovely," I replied. "Would you like to do the honors or shall I?"

"It would be my pleasure," JARVIS responded before he sent a shock of electricity coursing through Tony's suit, jolting him awake in less than a second.

He bolted upright, his suit whirring back to life. Taking one look at my smirk, he shook his head, his eyes darting to the terrorist on the ground and back to me.

"For the record," he stated, shaking his head. "I prefer it when you kiss me."

"JARVIS wanted to do the honors."

I was glad Tony programmed JARVIS with sarcasm, if only for the reason to gang up against Tony with me during missions. "Sir, it was a pleasure to work with you," JARVIS stated. If he were human, we would have had matching smiles.

"Maybe I should be Iron Man," I teased. "We all know who wears the pants in this relationship."

Tony wasn't even shocked at the bantering at this stage in our relationship. "You wound me," he said before getting back to his feet slowly.

I flipped the face mask back down on the suit before powering up the flight stabilizer. "It's my job," I responded.

The police were notified accordingly. Our work was done here. I didn't waste another second to jet off into the sky, blasting through the hole in the roof that we left on our way in. Tony followed not even a second behind as we raced each other.

I had grown used to living at Stark Tower in New York, but between going back and forth between New York and Malibu, the warm weather was slowly starting to win me over. Stark Tower still had a lot of work to be done, but Stark Mansion, on the other hand, felt like an actual home.

Stability was a new feature in my life as of lately.

When we returned to Stark Mansion, I felt the familiar pull of sleep attempt to overwhelm me, but I knew it was barely five o'clock. Superhero business was harder than it looked.

Tony, on the other hand, lived for sleep deprivation.

"I'm not letting those words come out of my mouth," he said as we dissembled the suits, putting them back in the workshop until the next mission.

I rolled my eyes, climbing the steps up to our living room. "It's not that hard to say," I teased. "I'll even say it with you if that makes you feel better." I glanced in his direction with a grin, trying to get his gaze to rest on mine. I gestured for him to mouth the words along with me, but he didn't budge.

"Thank. You."

It still earned a chuckle from Tony's lips. "Fat chance," he said, shoving me to the side playfully.

I stumbled to the side before catching myself on the railing with a small laugh of my own. "You're the worst," I said, shaking my head.

"You still love me though," he responded easily.

"Oh, like you need reassurance."

I smiled over my shoulder as I headed into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to find something that would count as an actual meal. JARVIS was slacking with the grocery list.

"You know," Tony called out after me, following me into the room. "I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss the stage in our relationship where you were infatuated with me."

He wasn't wrong. The first month or so after the Battle of New York, we were careful not to step on each other's territory. We both had been through so much that it hurt, and I knew this was one thing we couldn't afford to mess up. Slowly, the bantering had returned as we fell back into our normal routine of saving the world.

That sentence would have never existed in my vocabulary if it wasn't for Tony.

"I still am," I said as I shut the refrigerator door. "Doesn't mean I'm not sarcastic too. I learned from the best, after all."

Tony took my hand in his a moment later. A smile appeared across his face, but I could see he was still trying to push back the very real trauma he dealt with. He continuously tried to put on a brave face when I was around, which was pretty much always, and he was going to make himself sick if he kept going.

I opened my mouth to force my concerns, but he beat me to the punch.

"Hey, we did good things today."

I nodded in return, tabling the conversation for later. "Yeah, we did," I echoed before I released his hand, grabbing my wallet from the table next to me.

Tony's smile morphed into a frown almost instantly. "Where are you going?" he questioned, sensing my hesitation.

"To get Chinese takeout that I think we deserve," I responded. "If you calm down, you too can survive without me for an hour."

His mouth fell open in shock at my words. "And you say I'm the worst," he said with another shake of his head.

I laughed as I headed out the front door of our home, feeling happy and carefree. For once in my life, I was content with my life.

I should have known it was too good to be true.

* * *

**A/N: **If you're confused, you probably haven't read the first story in this series. Go on and head over to "There Was An Idea" - the first in the collection of stories in the Marvel 2.0 series. If you're a returning reader, WELCOME BACK. I hope you enjoy the next installment in the series.

You'll Never See Me Coming Full Spotify Playlist: open dot spotify dot com /playlist/4ZXdoN8dKxPIIUlFIWxejd?si=-tBzDvqRRAqY9tteCyTE3A


	2. Chapter 2

**EMERALD**

Characteristically, if I couldn't find Tony, he was most likely downstairs in his workshop.

It was one of the only ways he could stop thinking about thinking. Whenever I was around, I was a good distraction, but I couldn't help with everything, as much as I wanted to.

That was how I found myself walking down the steps into the workshop in search of my partner.

"Tony!" I called out. "Tony!"

I saw him before he heard me, hovered over yet another project of his, lost in concentration. Shaking my head, I punched in the code to the workshop and headed inside, a sympathetic look crossing my face. He had something on his mind.

"Are you building another suit?" I questioned, finally earning his attention away from his toys.

Tony raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Why are you even bothering to ask?" he inquired, answering my question with another question.

"I honestly don't know," I responded truthfully. "I'm only on Mark like four, you know."

"I don't want to give you a faulty suit if it doesn't work."

His responses were so mechanical it was getting scary. "So, you're going to kill yourself first?" I asked, raising an eyebrow to match his.

"Rather me than you."

I sighed, sitting on a stool next to where Tony was working. Leaning over, I brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes, giving him a sad smile. "I love you," I whispered before orientating myself back on my stool. "Can I at least help?"

Tony never wanted my help in the workshop, but I still asked every time. He enjoyed the company, no question, but his mechanical tendencies were his own.

He turned back to his latest version of his suit, screwing another bolt tighter in the section he was currently working on. "Do you remember our first real date?" he questioned, sending a tiny smile in my direction.

"You mean when you spent days trying to get a reservation at my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles and then we missed our reservation because you got caught up down here?" I asked, the teasing tone returning to my voice.

Tony winced slightly, although he knew I wasn't holding anything against him. "Okay fair," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "But then, what did I do?"

"We had a candlelit dinner on the roof, and it was perfect," I recalled the memory. "Tony, you try so hard for me, and-"

He was in no mood to hear my excuses today.

"Yes, I do," he said. "You deserve so much better than me, and you're still here anyway. I don't want to mess things up with you."

I tilted my head to one side. "Tony," I responded softly. "Do you think that I want you to be perfect?"

He looked in my direction curiously as if I asked a trick question. "I feel like this is one of those questions where I'm wrong either way," he answered.

"No," I interrupted before he could make another joke. "I didn't fall in love with a man who's perfect. I fell in love with you, the real Tony Stark."

I barely heard the clink of Tony setting his wrench down before he took the two steps over to the stool I was sitting on and swiftly pressed his lips to mine. Caught off guard, it took me a moment before I stood up, tangling my hand in his hair and kissing him back. The rawness behind this kiss shocked me, and I fell into the rhythm of our lips moving in sync.

That was until I heard someone clearing their throat from behind us.

I separated myself from Tony reluctantly, peering over his shoulder to lay eyes on Colonel James Rhodes himself. "Rhodey!" I cried, practically knocking Tony's eardrum out.

"Can you guys keep your hands off of each other for like five seconds?" he questioned, his arms folded across his chest. "Is that possible?"

"You ruined a moment," Tony announced before he turned around to look at his best friend, his hair tussled from our encounter.

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "I'm sure I ruined a lot of things," he commented, to which my cheeks flushed.

He had slowly gotten used to our relationship throughout these past months, and while I knew he wasn't exactly on board with sharing his best friend, he was happy that Tony was happy. I liked having Rhodey around with us, not just on missions either. It was a positive dynamic that Tony and I both solely needed after our experiences.

"We were just about to have lunch," I said, smiling towards the colonel. "You want some?"

"He can't stay," replied Tony immediately before Rhodey could get a word in.

The fact was probably true. Rhodey was currently donning his military uniform, which usually meant that he was here on official business, but I still shot Tony a dirty look anyway.

"I'm sure it's for the best," Rhodey pointed out, glancing between the pair of us with a smirk. "I came to see how the mission from Tuesday went."

Tony tilted his head to one side, unable to cease his playful nature. "Are you upset because I didn't ask you to come with us?" he questioned.

"I got a better job now."

The testosterone in this room was suffocating me.

"Boys, play nice," I warned, taking a step away from Tony.

Tony threw me an equally dull look. "I thought you just told me to be myself," he stated, raising an eyebrow.

"He's always himself around me," Rhodey replied.

"You don't sleep with me."

I made another face, walking towards the door of the workshop. "I'm leaving now," I said as I walked away from the both of them.

Rhodey stopped me with his arm, blocking me from reaching the glass door. "This involves the both of you actually," he said, causing me to tilt my head to one side. "I'm not at liberty to discuss it yet, but I'm here to give you a heads-up."

"Uh, we're not you," Tony commented. "We're not the government's people."

"Tony, be realistic," Rhodey retorted. "Thor's back on Asgard, Pandora and the others are back with SHIELD, Steve's flying under the radar, what other options do I have?"

My forehead crinkled at Rhodey's implications. That meant this involved more than just Tony and me. "Skip the drama, please," I pleaded. "Just tell us what's going on."

He heaved a large sigh, exchanging a quick glance with Tony, not meeting my eyes. That worried me even more.

"Rhodey," I warned, earning his gaze back on mine. "What's going on?"

There was a long pause in which my brain automatically started assuming the worst situations possible. "There was an attack yesterday," he finally announced.

"Okay," Tony commented, not understanding what the issue here was. I didn't either, if I was honest. "Let's take care of it."

"It's not that simple."

As I opened my mouth to ask another question that Rhodey was probably going to dodge, I was cut off by a slight buzz from the back pocket of my jeans. Frowning, I released my cell phone from its confinements, not recognizing the number on the screen.

"Hold that thought," I said, curiosity getting the best of me as I answered the phone warily. "Hello?"

"This is Officer Jane from the LAPD," an electronic voice responded back to me. "You are the phone number listed for Inmate Valencia Flint, are you not?"

I hated how my heart still ached every time I heard her name, but I swallowed the pain, focusing on the bigger picture here. "I'm not interested-" I tried to say, but the officer barely let me speak at all.

"There was an attack on her life yesterday at the prison," she explained. "She barely survived."

My heart leaped in my throat as I spun around in my tracks, shooting a panicked look in Rhodey and Tony's direction. "What happened?" I asked, my question sounding harsher than I intended.

"Come down to the station, and-" Officer Jane tried to explain, but I wasn't in the mood to listen.

I stabbed the end call button on my cell phone, returning the device to my back pocket. The gaze that I rested on Rhodey was pure aggravation.

"Let me guess," I said. "Some ex-terrorists attacked Val in her cell, and now, you want me to clean up the mess before it goes public that the prison guards aren't actually doing their job."

Rhodey blinked slowly, inhaling a large breath, as he pressed a hand on my shoulder. I shot daggers at him still, my heart racing in my chest.

"Em."

"I've heard enough," I snapped, pushing past both of them and heading up the stairs. "I'm going to take care of this myself."

The rage that was coursing through my blood was unreal. I knew I was going to be a danger behind the wheel, so against better judgment, I took the long walk to the prison.

Valencia was transferred here a few months ago for security reasons. Against my wishes, Tony felt it was going to better for her to be closer to us at the Los Angeles prison. He claimed he had better control over the administration of this particular prison, and I believed him.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

When I reached the prison, I was just as enraged as I had been when I left the mansion. I didn't even say a word until I reached the desk where I was supposed to sign into the prison. Barely picking up the pen, I earned a clear glare from the guard on duty.

"You shouldn't be here."

I shot the guard one back, scribbling my name on the log sheet. "I wouldn't have to be if you knew how to do your jobs," I snapped back, my patience wearing thin.

"Miss Maitland-" she tried to argue back, but my temper was way past waiting.

"I'm not here to see her," I retorted. "I want to speak with your supervisor. I need to know who I have to fire."

"Ma'am."

She was really persistent. Luckily, so was I.

I folded my arms across my chest, my eyes narrowing to slits. "Oh, don't ma'am me," I said. "Tony owns this prison, and you know who I am to Tony Stark, don't you?"

There was a slight pause as if she was actually considering arguing with me further. However, I knew I had gotten under her skin. I tended to have that effect on people.

As she led me into a separate room, I glanced over my shoulder at the prison behind me. It was of decent upkeep, and the cells were bearable. Tony wanted to protect Valencia for me, despite my consistent protests that I didn't need her. He was right, though. I didn't need her. She needed me.

"Miss Maitland."

I glanced up in shock at the record time it took for the head guard to find me. Threatening seemed to work efficiently around here. Still, I kept the cool expression on my face as I raised a careful eyebrow in this new guard's direction.

"I have to say I was not expecting you to show," he admitted, holding out a hand for me to shake.

I didn't take it.

"It's kind of hard for me not to when the police call me and tell me that Valencia has been beaten within an inch of her life on your guards' watch," I stated.

The head guard sat there, not even bothering to introduce himself. He didn't even look the least bit apologetic about the event, let alone the fact that I was sitting here threatening his job security. This was personal.

I voiced my thoughts aloud, "It's personal for you all, isn't it?" He didn't bother to answer, so I swept on with my accusation.

"Of all of the terrible inmates in this prison, she is the one who terrorized the entire planet. She is the one who fell in love with an alien and then assisted him to bring other aliens to invade Earth. How many other people do you think are on board with that?"

The head guard leaned forward in his chair, a clear signal that I was on the track, and held his hands in the air. "Miss Maitland-" he tried to interject, but again, I was not in the mood to listen.

"If there's one thing that I know, nothing brings people together like an alien attack," I concluded. "If the guards are in on it too, then we have a problem." I narrowed my eyes, trying to assess the look he was giving me. "Have them do their job or I will find another team to do it for you."

I didn't wait for his response. Grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair, I stormed out of the room, trying my hardest to blink the tears from my eyes. I wasn't sure where I was going, but at this point, I figured no one would try and stop me.

A sign for the infirmary stopped me dead in my tracks. My hands grew clammy as I debated doing exactly what I told myself not to. Without thinking, my feet automatically followed the arrow on the sign until I found myself standing in front of a large window to the prison's infirmary.

Valencia was sleeping, but I could see the damage the other prisoners had inflicted on her. Her face was swollen, and there was a sling hanging by her bedside. I held a hand over my mouth to silence my outburst that was bound to erupt, allowing a few tears to leak from my eyes instead.

"Oh Val," I whispered to myself. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Do you want to go in and see her?"

The voice from behind me made me jump in my tracks, as I wasn't expecting anyone to be around this area. A quiet female doctor stood there, charting as I stared into the window. Still, I shook my head.

"No, no, I'm good," I stammered.

The doctor tilted her head to one side, putting down the chart she was focusing on. "You came all of this way to see her," she commented to which I let out an involuntary chuckle.

"No," I clarified. "I came all of this way to make sure she doesn't get hurt again. She deserves to be in this prison, and she deserves to never see me again." My gaze flickered back to her sleeping body feet away from me. "She doesn't deserve to die in here."

There was a lot of things that Valencia deserved. This was not one of them.

"I'll see myself out," I whispered to the doctor before I lowered my head, following the signs back to the exit of the prison.

If I ever came back here again, it would be too soon.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Hold Onto What You Believe - Mumford & Sons

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	3. Chapter 3

**EMERALD**

I couldn't stop crying as I left the prison scene behind me, much to my dismay. I wasn't sure how I was going to get home in this state, but I hoped the fresh air would do the trick.

I wasn't so lucky.

A familiar Audi car pulled up in front of my sights, causing me to stop where I was walking. I quickly wiped a falling tear from my cheek as I shook my head.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Tony reluctantly, trying not to let him see how badly this affected me.

"Get in," was all he said, opening the passenger car door.

I shook my head. "Tony, I'm fine," I repeated. "I handled it."

"Emerald, get in the car," he said, a stern tone creeping up in his voice. "You are not going to be alone in this state."

He was right, per usual.

I sighed, getting in the passenger seat. I immediately slumped down in my seat, leaning my head against the headrest of the seat. "I know what you're going to say," I finally said, closing my eyes in a sad attempt to keep the tears in.

"Come here."

I popped open one eye in surprise as Tony put the car in park and instantly wrapped one arm around my shoulder. "That's not what I thought you were going to say," I mumbled as I leaned against his upper body.

I was waiting for the lecture on how reckless I had been, but it never came.

We sat there in silence for a few more minutes with the car parked in the middle of the lot. I heaved another large sigh, trying my hardest to wash the emotions out of my body.

"That you should have waited for me?" Tony teased, pulling away. "That you should have handled it a bit more tactfully than threatening to fire everyone? I think you already know that. I don't need to tell you."

I let a tiny smile appear across my face as I rested my gaze on Tony's. I so did not deserve him.

"Tone," I whispered. "They almost killed her."

He shook his head in disbelief, and all of my worries about his qualms on the safer prison system just faded in an instant. "Did you talk to her?" he questioned.

"No," I replied, my voice still cracking. "I… I can't… just not yet."

"It's okay," Tony said, resting his hand on top of mine. "You've done a lot today." He paused, rubbing his thumb over the back of my palm. "Just breathe."

Complying, I moved my head back, shutting my eyes. At the very least, I knew how to control my breathing. That was enough for now.

"I just want to punch something," I mumbled.

Tony let out a tiny chuckle, although I wasn't kidding. "I had JARVIS put together a new algorithm that if anything having to do with Val pops up on any scanner or tweet or whatever, I'll know about it," he said.

"Thank you," I whispered, opening one eye and peering over at him. "How the hell do I deserve you?"

"I think I should be asking you that question."

I finally collected my thoughts together by the time we reached Stark Mansion once more, feeling the ability to breathe without restrictions. After basically collapsing on the couch, I ran a hand through my hair and breathed out one last long exhale. It was only minutes later that I heard my stomach growl a loud roar, and I heard Tony's laugh in response from across the room.

Apparently, lunch never happened.

"Shut up," I muttered, even though a smile involuntarily appeared across my lips as well.

Shaking my head, I sat upright, immediately sniffing the air. The smell of cooking food flooded my nostrils, and I no longer wondered why my stomach was growling.

"Are you actually cooking?" I questioned Tony, unable to see him over the back of the couch.

Before he could respond, JARVIS piped up, flooding the sound system in the room. "Actually, I am cooking, and he is supervising," he droned, to which I couldn't help but laugh.

"JARVIS, I'll believe that when you become an android and grow arms."

"Never say never."

I padded my way across the kitchen in total surprise, leaning against the counter top. "Do I dare ask what you're making?" I asked Tony, watching him fumble around with the different spices on the counter.

"It's a surprise," he teased, sending a smirk in my direction.

"Should I have takeout on speed dial?" I joked, knowing how inept Tony really was in the cooking department. He had other skills to focus on.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a great cook either.

"Just in case," he responded with a laugh of his own.

I sat down at the high top in the kitchen, sipping on a glass of wine sitting there. "Do you remember our last holiday together?" I asked, enjoying the smirk he sent me from over his shoulder.

"Is it bad if I said I honestly didn't remember-" he started to say, but he shut his mouth within seconds of the dark look I gave him in return.

"You have to be joking," I replied. "I put so much effort into that goddamn party."

Tony shook his head, turning his attention back to the stove in front of him. "I'm kidding, Em," he said. "Don't get yourself all worked up, at least not until you taste this masterpiece."

I had no words. "You're disgusting," I commented with an eye roll.

"Hey, you did tell me to act more like myself," he reminded me.

I couldn't argue with that statement. Those were my words from just earlier today.

I let the chef cook in peace after that, fumbling around with different text messages on my phone in front of me. There was a missed call from Pepper, but to be fair, I actually didn't ignore that one on purpose. I was busy taking care of a prison riot.

A part of me wished I had seen Valencia, but I knew I would be disappointed with what I found. I couldn't get my hopes up that somehow prison had reformed her. People like her didn't change that quickly. She was getting what she deserved, I had to remind myself.

I waited until Tony hesitantly put down a plate in front of me. I examined it with my fork to make sure the chicken was at least cooked all of the ways through before sending him a playful smile.

"Looks great, honey," I provoked, waiting for his equal witty response.

He sat down next to me, looking over his own plate. "Actually, this might not be half bad," he admitted, seeming shocked himself.

For once, he was right. It was fairly edible.

"Thanks, JARVIS," I mumbled in between mouthfuls.

"As always, it was a pleasure working with you."

I set my fork down on the plate a few minutes later, the memories of our holiday party returning to my brain. "That night," I voiced aloud, earning Tony's attention back on mine. "You danced with me. Do you remember that?"

He barely hesitated, knowing exactly what I was talking about in an instant. "I do."

"You were drunk," I pointed out in surprise.

"Just because I was drunk doesn't mean that I don't remember anything."

I nodded slowly, adding another spoonful of rice to my mouth. "I'm impressed," I responded.

"I feel a question coming on," Tony stated, raising an eyebrow.

I knew at this point, he could practically read my mind, so I asked anyway, despite my best nature. "If Rhodey hadn't interrupted us," I said slowly. "Would you have kissed me?"

Those early moments seemed like a thousand years ago, mostly because I knew just how far we came since then. Our banter was still the same, but there was a deeper level now that we unlocked that day on Park Avenue. I had my suspicions that we felt the same way back then, but I, at least, realized that we needed more time. I was curious about Tony's, however.

"I would have," he finally admitted after several moments of pause. "But I would have regretted it later. You would have chalked up the event to the alcohol talking." I smirked at his words, seeing just how connected we really were. "However, in all honesty, I have been developing feelings for you since the moment you stood up to Fury for me."

I raised an eyebrow playfully. "That was like the day we met," I pointed out.

"No one ever treated me like you had before," he continued. "Star-struck at first, sure-"

I shoved him to the side, almost sending him toppling off of his chair. "Hey now," I defended myself. "You were a celebrity who just saved my life."

"But," he relented, earning my attention back to his. "You treated me like a person, not just for the fame and the money. Sometimes, it feels like that's all anyone is after."

"I mean, it does help," I teased with a smirk, shoveling another forkful of food in my mouth so I couldn't laugh.

Tony made a face at my retaliation, although my amused expression landed a smile of his own on his lips. "I'm serious, Em," he said in between chuckles. "After a while, I knew how I felt, but I had no idea how to tell you."

"I beat you to it," I responded, pointing a fork in his direction. "You're such a sap now. What the heck happened to Tony Stark?"

He laughed again. "Actually, I think it's you who's turning into me," he said.

"Don't pretend like you don't love it."

I finally pushed my plate aside, resting my content gaze on Tony's. "Thanks for saving my life," I said, breaking the silence once more. "I'm really glad I met you that day."

"Anytime, Em, anytime."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: About Love - MARINA

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	4. Chapter 4

**EMERALD**

I never really knew how many of our missions really got started. One minute, I was sitting on the couch, typing up another report that Fury requested of all of the Avengers, and the next, I was in Iraq.

I usually let Tony take charge of the logistics behind the missions themselves. I had enough to worry about without adding which terrorist to tackle next to my list.

Today, for example, we were targeting someone the government was tracking for a long time. However, when their spy was murdered, we were the next best defense. These were not people to mess with, and here we were anyway.

I could tell that bugged Tony, at least to the slightest degree. The government still didn't really know how our suits worked and therefore thought we were basically invincible. Not only was it very incorrect, it was also minorly insulting that the government wanted to risk our lives instead of their own soldiers. At least, that was from Rhodey's mouth.

Nonetheless, we knew we were the best at our job, and I, for one, enjoyed the gratification of saving innocent lives.

"What's the story down here?" I asked Tony, dropping down from the sky next to him where he was busy shifting through several stacks of papers.

Tony didn't even budge at my arrival as he continued to sort through the mess that was this entire tent. "He's not home," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Obviously," I retorted. "What did you find?"

He offered me one of the many sheets of paper in his hands, tilting his head to one side. While I couldn't currently see his expression, I could sense the frown on his face. This wasn't what we were warned about.

"Lots of dirty paper trails," he said, verifying the frown I suspected from earlier. He set the papers back down on the table, shaking his head. "JARVIS, scan."

"With pleasure, sir," came the electronic response from the A.I. before a whirring noise confirmed the copying of the information. I wasn't exactly sure what we were supposed to do with all of this, but it was better than showing up empty-handed.

Tony nodded, practically reading my mind. "Send these to anyone who's interested," he said nonchalantly, prompting JARVIS to send the scans back to the government at hand. A second later, his face mask flipped up, solidifying his hardened expression.

"Someone tipped him off," he added, turning to face me.

I tilted my head to one side, tossing up my own mask as well. "Or maybe it's a trap," I voiced my paranoid thoughts aloud as I looked around the tight quarters we were in. "Did you ever consider that?"

"You're the diplomat, Iron Woman," he responded with a teasing smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "You're going to pay for that later," I observed.

"I look forward to it."

I shut my mask back over my eyes, scanning the area to make sure there was nothing that we missed upon our arrival. There was barely any place to hide in here, let alone stash an entire area of terrorists.

"I'm gonna sweep the area, do a recon," I said, already powering up the flight stabilizer. "There has to be something around here that could point us in a solid direction."

At least from a birds-eye view, I could see if Tony was about to be ambushed. I wasn't about to voice that one aloud.

"He's another terrorist selling weapons," Tony declared, unsure of why I was being so paranoid.

To be honest, I wasn't sure either. We had so many wins recently that I was beginning to get suspicious of our success.

"My point exactly," I stated before I jetted off in the sky, leaving Tony alone with the several incriminating documents. "JARVIS, scan the ground for any life forms."

A second passed as I watched the A.I. do a full sweep of the area. "Other than Mister Stark, I see nothing worth noting, save for a few lizards," JARVIS responded, confirming what I already saw.

"Lovely," I practically growled, still feeling on edge.

Tony sensed my frustration, heaving a sigh over the comms. "We should head back," he said. "At least before-"

A crackling sound emitted through my suit, causing me to wince involuntarily. However, I knew my suspicions from earlier weren't for nothing. There was something seriously wrong with this situation.

"Tone?" I questioned, hearing only static emerge from the other end.

My heart practically beat out of my chest as I called his name again to no avail. "JARVIS," I pleaded. "What's going on?"

"From what I'm indicating from Mister Stark's suit, it seems there has been an ambush," he stated. "I am sensing multiple hostiles."

I knew it was a trap.

Immediately setting a beeline course back to the tent, I barked towards JARVIS, "Where the hell did they come from?" I wasn't expecting a clear response. I was only hoping that we weren't way over our heads here.

"My guess is that they had an underground bunker," the A.I. declared. "If they had a metal system down there, we would not have been able to track them."

I swore loudly before I crashed through the roof of the tent, landing in the thick of the fight. Tony was currently trying to fight off about six armed terrorists on his own. It was a little disarming at first, but I knew what I had to do.

A few of the terrorists were jolted by my arrival and turned their guns over on me. I was able to knock two of them aside unconscious easily enough before I felt something lodge in the back of the suit. The entire suit shut itself down in a split second, causing my vision to grow dark in the tent. Swearing, I disassembled the suit in a hurry, letting it collapse to the ground.

"Shit."

I made a dart towards the back flap of the tent, finding a pan laying on the ground. That would have to do for now. I was shocked that they were able to target the one weak spot the suits had, my paranoia creeping back into my system.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tony yelled over at me, noticing the suit laying on the ground.

As bullets started flying again, I deflected them without issue, thanks to the size of the pan in my hand. "Being helpful, you dimwit," I shouted before smacking another goon over the head with the metal pan.

The terrorists seemed to realize that I was the vulnerable one in this situation and, without hesitation, started firing all of their guns in my direction. I instantly flipped the table in front of me over, finding a gun strapped to the inside of the furniture.

"Well, that was convenient," I muttered to myself, praying that it was loaded.

Luck was on my side.

I took down a few more terrorists, targeting limbs as best as I could, before a click sounded in the gun, signaling that my ammunition had run dry. I was really hoping that would last longer.

"Tony?" I shouted, ducking back behind the table.

"A little busy!"

Great.

I was running out of options. Frantically glancing around the room, I tried to find another source of weaponry. Just when I was about to give up, I spotted two knives resting on the far table in the room. That would have to do for now.

"Cover me!" I cried towards Tony before making a run for it, sliding towards the table and grabbing the knives within a split second. I felt a bullet graze the side of my arm, but there was no stopping now.

In another second, the knives were lodged in the remaining two terrorists' shoulders. With another blast to the side from Tony, they were all down for the count.

"Well," I said, breathing heavily from my position laying on the ground. "That was something."

As I laid back across the ground, catching my breath, Tony popped his helmet off, sending me an incredulous glance. "Were you out of your mind?" he questioned.

"Last I checked, I was still able to save the world without my suit," I pointed out, propping myself up on my elbows.

He folded his arms across his chest, not relenting. "What if something happened to you?" he asked.

"It did!" I exclaimed, gesturing to the broken suit on the ground. "I handled it."

Sighing, I got to my feet slowly, wiping the blood from a cut over my eye. My arm was throbbing, but I had seen worse.

"You should have a backup suit," Tony said, shaking his head. "I'm going to get on that."

I gave him a look, rubbing my bloodied hands on my jeans. "Would you relax?" I cried. "I'm fine." Standing there, I simply stared at him for a few more moments before I spoke again. "I spent a solid two months fighting terrorists without a suit before New York, or did you forget about that?"

"You're getting comfortable," Tony argued. "That's when mistakes happen."

Like this particular mission. I didn't say that part out loud.

"Or," I chose to say instead. "I just trust my partner."

He threw me an irritated look, knowing what I was trying to do. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off with another pointed glance.

"I can take care of myself," I said quickly. "As much as I love you for wanting to."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Em."

He said it so quietly that I thought I misheard him for a moment. Tilting my head to one side, my gaze of annoyance morphed into one of concern.

"What?" I questioned.

"You don't need me anymore," he repeated himself, a sad glance passing over his face like a shadow. "I went into that wormhole, and I did not come out the same person. I know what's out there, but you don't. You go around thinking that this is the worst thing that could happen to you, but it's not. I have nightmares about losing you, about losing everything."

My irritation melted away instantly as I headed over to Tony's side, placing a hand on his cheek. "Hey," I whispered, smiling up at him. "I'm right here, and like it or not, I need you just as much as you need me. We're partners, remember?"

Whether my words helped ease his tension or not, he forced a small grin on his face back down at me. He heaved a sigh, prompting me to drop my hand back to my side.

"You want to stop in Paris on the way home?" he asked, completely changing the subject. "I have a craving for French onion soup."

I raised an eyebrow at his blunt topic change. "Seriously?" I questioned before I shrugged my shoulders. "You know I can't turn that down."

"I'll call the Quinjet," he volunteered immediately, punching in a code on the arm of the suit.

Rolling my eyes, I brushed off the remaining dust and dirt from my jacket. With the suit all but destroyed for now, we didn't have very many options in regard to getting back home. Luckily, I still remembered how to fly a plane from the pre-suit days.

There were some sentences that still felt weird to think in my head. That was one of them. I knew how to fly a plane.

"We're talking about this later!" I shouted at his retreating back.

When we reached the restaurant in Paris, I finally managed to wash the rest of the blood off of my skin. There was something about this city that made me feel at peace, and not just because I spoke the language fluently. I was thankful that even in the winter, Parisians enjoyed being outside.

As we sat at a table outside our frequent restaurant, I let my gaze rest on the people around us. There were a few people staring in our direction, but I barely noticed anymore. It came with the territory.

"I hate you for being so extra," I complained as the waiter put our plates in front of us.

Tony smirked, taking a spoonful of his soup. "I think the words you are looking for are 'you're welcome,'" he teased.

"Now, you're just a hypocrite," I said, referring to our earlier encounter from a week ago when he refused to acknowledge my assistance.

I blinked rapidly as a flash shone our direction, signaling that our picture was being taken once again. Sighing, I tried to look as photogenic as possible while eating a sandwich.

"Do you ever get used to this?" I said, nodding in the latest paparazzi person's direction.

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "I just ignore them," he commented, turning his full attention towards me. "Or we can give them a show." He waggled his eyebrows which earned him an eye roll from my direction.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"You will too," he replied. "I mean, dating me doesn't really give you much of a choice."

I raised an eyebrow, unable to keep the smile from creeping on my face. "Oh, is that the only reason that I'm a celebrity?" I questioned.

"You're also a very sexy superhero," he responded easily, seizing the opportunity of my face flushing to steal a piece of my food.

I gaped in his direction in shock before I flicked some water in his face. "You need to stop," I said, although a giggle still erupted from my lips.

There was a moment that we sat there, simply laughing at each other, and I immediately felt at peace. "I could get used to this," I voiced aloud.

"The French onion soup?"

I made a face, debating whether to flick more water in his face. "No, you goon," I teased. "The spotlight." I glanced over at the paparazzi who seemed to be back enjoying their meal. "It means that we're doing some good in this world."

Tony placed a hand on top of mine, and I glanced back over in his direction with a curious smile. I really could get used to this.

"Have you heard from Pandora lately?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed. "You know, I think that's the first time you actually called her by name," I observed.

"Don't tell her."

As much as I missed the dynamics between the rest of the Avengers, and I missed my best friend dearly, I was grateful for the time that I had with just Tony. We spent the past six months being practically inseparable, save for Rhodey. I was surprised he still put up with us.

"I haven't heard from her since she left for Washington," I said honestly, shrugging my shoulders. "But I know SHIELD, and I know they'll keep her busy training. I just hope she's safe."

"I'm sure she says the same thing about you," Tony replied, pausing for a minute as he debated asking another question. I knew he would. "Why do you think she left Steve behind?"

I heaved a sigh, playing with my necklace as I considered his question. There were a lot of variables that I didn't know, but I could still hear the hidden pain behind Pandora's voice on the voicemail she left me. Something had gotten under her skin.

"I have no idea," I finally said. "I didn't ask because that's none of my business." I shook my head. "Maybe she wanted to be her own person for a little while."

"I think you proved that you can do both," Tony pointed out.

He wasn't wrong.

"That's because you know you can't tell me what to do without me telling you about yourself," I pestered him, nudging his shoulder.

This time, it was Tony's turn to look shocked. I laughed out loud at his face, covering my mouth with my hands to avoid any more unwanted attention.

"Wow," was all he was able to get out before my cell phone rang.

"Saved by the bell."

I smirked, picking up the call without checking the caller ID. I desperately needed out of this conversation. "Hello?" I asked.

"How's Paris?"

Cursing myself for not checking my caller ID, I tried my hardest to force a happy tone to my voice. Whenever Pepper Potts called me, I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

Once Tony and I went public with our relationship, things had settled down between us. She at least had the decency to respect our space after everything that we went through in New York, but her hostility towards me never faded. It was really getting old.

Still, she was Tony's friend and the owner of his company. I played nice, most of the time anyway.

I didn't even question how she knew where we were. The number of pictures that were probably already circulating the Internet with Tony and me at lunch was unimaginable.

"You're costing me international minutes, Pep," I responded. "What do you need?"

"Stop by Stark Industries when you get back," she stated. "I have some things to discuss with you."

Suspicion rose instantly in my brain. "What kind of things?" I questioned, hesitating only slightly.

"We'll talk when you get here."

A dial tone signaled that the line was cut off, and I pulled the phone away from my ear with a puzzled expression on my face. Frowning, my mind rapidly started to think about all of the million possibilities that Pepper wanted to see me.

Tony sensed my bewilderment before I could even say anything. "What was that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow to match my frown.

"Pepper wants me to stop by Stark Industries."

"Maybe she wants to amend your friendship."

I laughed dryly. Only Tony would say something wishful along those lines. He already tried way too hard to get us in the same room on many occasions.

"Oh no, that would require her to be actually sincere," I said. "I don't think she has a sincere bone in her body."

He tossed me a look, clearly showing his unappreciation for my tone of voice. "Play nice," he warned to which I rolled my eyes.

"It's like you don't even know me at all."

In the end, it didn't even matter. I was the one who was happy and in love, and she was the one who was trying to play mind games. Whatever she wanted, it couldn't be anything life-shattering.

At least, that was what I told myself.


	5. Chapter 5

**EMERALD**

As much as I wanted to skip out on Pepper's request, I found myself walking through the doors of Stark Industries in the outskirts of Hollywood. I admired everything about this building, except for the woman running it. It was pretty ironic, actually.

There were times that I recognized how much better Pepper was for this company than anyone else, but sometimes, I worried that she let her emotions against me get the better of her. It was that apprehension that I felt when I walked into the building.

"Miss Maitland!"

The receptionist at the front recognized me immediately, and I wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing or not. Tony was right. I was getting too comfortable.

"What can I do for you today?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

I gave her the sincerest smile I could muster at the moment. "I'm here to see Pepper," I stated, hating the way her name came out of my mouth.

"She's in a meeting right now, but I can tell-" she started to say, but I didn't even bother letting her finish.

Cutting her off with an eye roll, the fake smile only grew on my face. "No worries, I'll show myself back there," I said before I started off in the direction of Pepper's office.

I barely stepped out of the elevator on the appropriate floor when I saw the woman in question walk by, scribbling something on her iPad in her hands.

"So, you ask me to come all of the way here and then pretend that you're in a meeting, so I have to wait," I stated, earning her attention with my voice alone. "Classic Pepper move."

Pepper tilted her head to one side, lowering her device to her side. I didn't miss the once over she gave me, but I no longer cared. It didn't matter if I was only overseas for a couple of hours. The jet lag was still real.

"Emerald," she responded coolly. "You're early."

"Fashionably."

Not entirely sure if I was supposed to follow her or not, I decided on the former. I headed into her office, shutting the door behind us. The curiosity inside of me was really about to explode.

"Trust me," I assured her as I turned around. "I don't want to be here any more than you want me here, but I honor my agreements at least."

Pepper sighed, taking a seat behind her desk and gesturing for me to sit in front of her. I obliged slowly, my gaze still raking hers for some sort of hint of what she wanted to discuss.

"We need to talk," was all she said as I finally sat down, leaning back in the chair.

I sent a smirk in her direction despite my best interest. "Obviously," I replied. "That's why I'm here."

"Emerald, please, we need to actually talk," she responded, practically cutting the tension in the air with her words. "We've barely said two words to each other since New York."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm okay with that."

"This isn't a solo effort here," she continued as if I hadn't spoken. "I don't hate you as much as you believe I do. In fact, I'm happy for you and Tony."

My eyebrows skyrocketed to the top of my forehead, shock ringing clear across my features. "What?" I blurted out, unable to hold it back.

The face I was making was probably ridiculous, but I had never heard such a blatant lie in my life.

"I'm happy for you," Pepper tried again. "I always knew it would eventually, even if you didn't."

I really could have laughed in her face, but I promised Tony I would be on my best behavior. Or, at least a fifty-fifty behavior.

"Pepper, drop the act," I said as her gaze never changed. This was getting old now.

"It's not an act," she continued. "I genuinely care-"

"What do you want."

Pepper sighed, giving me an unreadable expression as I cut off her words. I was really getting tired of wasting my time with her. A part of me wondered if Tony put her up to this, but I could sense that there was something else that was eating away at her.

"Emerald." She sighed again. "As hard as it is for you understand, we're both adults," she pleaded. "It's time for us to put our jealousy aside."

I had enough.

"Pepper, what do you want?" I questioned, my impatience presenting itself through my voice. "We both know you'll never give up being jealous of me, and you will carry out the rest of your days half-hoping that you were the one to be in my position. You probably regret the day that I entered your life, and frankly, I don't care. Right now, however, you're feeding me with bullshit, so I'm going to ask you one more time." I paused for dramatic effect. "What do you want."

Pepper's eyes slowly narrowed the longer I kept talking, and by the end, they were almost slits. I could tell I was barking up the wrong tree, but it had to be said.

"I'm late for a meeting," she finally said abruptly, getting to her feet.

I threw her an exasperated look at her childish manner. I did not come all of the ways here for nothing. "Pepper," I warned her.

"Work here," she blurted out, folding her arms across her chest. "Be the CEO of Stark Industries. You already work for Tony."

Okay, that was definitely unexpected.

"Oh no," I clarified, holding up a finger. "I don't work for Tony. I don't work for anyone anymore." I paused, tilting my head to one side. "Why the hell would you want me to work here?" I had to ask.

Pepper exhaled briefly, her eyes darting to her desk and back up towards mine. "You're valuable," she said softly. "Right now, Stark Industries needs a united front. With you and I as the heads, we could really do some good in this world."

That still didn't really answer the question. Besides, I was definitely not qualified for that position. I had a feeling there would be riots in the streets.

"I save the world as a living because that's my job," I pointed out. "And I love it. That's already a health risk I've heard, and I have a feeling that you'd cause me several more strokes per day. I really don't think I'd be healthy enough to accept your gracious offer."

If Pepper wasn't taken aback before, she was now.

"I'm trying to resolve peace, and you're making it very difficult," she declared.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again, sticking with the relaxed position in the chair. Of course, I should have known that the only reason why she wanted me here was to prove to all of the rumors flying around that she wasn't jealous of me, or of Tony. She only wanted to improve her own image.

"I guess I take after Tony in that manner," I said with a wink. "See you later, Pep."

With a stupid smirk on my face at figuring out her latest game, I headed out of her office and back towards the elevator. Once again, I wasted my time.

My head was not in the right place when I stabbed the button for the elevator. Eyes wandering up towards the television screen positioned above the elevator doors, I wasn't even processing the local news that was being displayed. All I could think about was being CEO of this company.

That was when I saw it.

If I blinked, I would have thought it was a bad commercial. Shaking my head, I squinted at the screen rapidly shifting to a new image. This image, however, could only be accomplished by someone hacking the airwaves.

"Some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher."

At those chilling words, I didn't even hear the elevator ding, signaling its arrival on my floor. Whatever place my thoughts were in snapped right back to the present at the sight of this new figure on the television.

He was older looking with grey hair and a grey beard and donned long robes as a traditional Asian teacher would. However, he presented himself with simple Aviator sunglasses and a theater voice that cut right through me. This was no simple message. This was a threat.

"America," he drawled. "Ready for another lesson?"

He flashed different images of Native Americans in the early days of America while he spoke, providing more dramatics for television purposes. He wasn't just threatening us now. He was playing it up, creating a show.

"In 1864, in Sand Creek, Colorado, the U.S. Military waited until the friendly Cheyenne Braves had all gone hunting," he continued as the images played on the screen. "They waited to attack and slaughter the families left behind and claim their land. The Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was just attacked. I… I did that."

My jaw involuntarily clenched as I continued to listen to the terrorist on the screen. "A quaint military church, filled with wives and children, of course. The soldiers were out on maneuvers. The 'Braves' were away. President Ellis, you continue to resist my attempts to educate you, sir, and now, you've missed me again," he continued.

After a second, he paused, looking directly towards the camera. It felt like he was looking into my soul.

"You know who I am. You don't know where I am. And you'll never see me coming."

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath the entire time until the television returned back to its normal broadcasting, and I let out a long exhale. My hands shook as I swore under my breath, his words affecting me way more than I realized.

"Not this guy again," I heard one worker complain from down the hallway.

I tilted my head to one side, grabbing the worker by the arm as he passed me. "Excuse me?" I questioned. "Did you say again?"

The worker looked at me like I had grown another head. I wasn't sure if he recognized who I was, but I certainly didn't feel like myself at this moment.

"Yeah, this is his third broadcast in a month," he explained. "He calls himself the Mandarin." He opened his mouth to most likely ask why I hadn't heard about this terrorist, but I didn't have time to answer any ridiculous questions.

"Thanks," I blurted out before I scooted into an open elevator, trying to catch my breath.

Whoever this Mandarin was, his days were numbered.


	6. Chapter 6

**EMERALD**

"Tony!"

I wasted no time calling his name the second I stepped foot in our home. We had a new terrorist on our hands and one that was a frequent flyer in this country. That day ended today.

"I'm in here!" I heard him call from the other room.

Barging into the living room, I folded my arms across my chest as I realized that the television wasn't even switched on. He was going through his daily fan mail, and from that alone, I couldn't help but smile.

He glanced up as soon as he heard my footsteps, tilting his head to one side. "How was Pepper?" he questioned.

To be perfectly honest, the tiny interaction I had with the Mandarin made me completely forget all about what Pepper said to me.

"Have you been watching the news?" I snapped.

In an instant, I had the remote in my hand and flicked the television on. It immediately jumped to a news channel which was still talking about the Mandarin an hour later. This was getting serious.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

From the glance that Tony gave me, he was already in the doghouse. He didn't have to say anything, but I could tell that he knew about the Mandarin's cryptic ominous messages way before I ever entered this room.

"Why have you been hiding this from me?" I accused, jumping straight to conclusions.

Tony held his hands in the air, getting to his feet slowly. He could tell I was already set off. "Technically, I wasn't hiding it," he said. "I just wasn't bringing up the topic. It's public news, Em. Frankly, I'm surprised you're just hearing about it now."

He wasn't helping the situation here.

"So why haven't we gone after this guy, I don't know, after the first attack?" I asked, the questions simply rolling off of my tongue.

Tony was getting exasperated with me, I could tell, but I had a job to do: protect the American people.

"Because he's a terrorist!" he exclaimed, unsure of what else to say.

"Hmmm, that sounds exactly like the people we've been taking down for the past six months!" I retorted, throwing my hands in the air.

He shook his head, relentlessly trying to get me to see his side of things. "We've targeted warlords, drug lords, minor terrorists, sure, but nothing like this," he pointed out. "We would get ourselves killed if we did this alone."

"Then, why don't we, oh I don't know, call together the Avengers again?" I questioned, the sarcasm never fading from my lips. Maybe this was what was supposed to spark the next Avengers team-up. "I'm sure that even SHIELD agents watch the news."

Tony threw me a look of concern. "Uh, I wouldn't be so sure," he commented, matching my sarcasm with his own. "Capsicle is pretty much a lost cause when it comes to that."

"Tony!" I exclaimed. "This is our job! To protect the world, to save lives, to take down these kinds of people. This Mandarin guy blew up a church." I shook my head in disbelief. "A freaking church full of innocent women and children. I don't want to know what else he's done. We have to stop him."

Clearly, he still was stubbornly on his own side of things.

"Emerald, this is exactly why I didn't tell you."

I winced slightly at the use of my full name. At this point, Tony almost never called me Emerald anymore unless it was something serious. He was at a breaking point, and so was I.

"Because I'd want to go after him?" I finished his sentence. "You bet your ass that I do. And if you're not on board, I'll do it myself." I turned over my shoulder to call out JARVIS's name, signaling him to prepare the latest model of my metal suit.

The A.I. responded almost immediately, "I'm very sorry, Miss Maitland, but I cannot allow you to do this," and I shot Tony a glare, my irritation deepening.

"You turned JARVIS against me?" I said.

He tilted his head to one side, a sympathetic glance crossing his face for a moment. I didn't want his pity today. "Em, I had no other choice," he whispered.

"Yes, you did," I countered. "You could have told me, and we could have stopped this terrorist before it even got this far. He just threatened the President of the United States!"

Tony ran his hands through his hair, and I could see his wheels were turning on how to convince me to drop the subject. "I'm working on a plan, alright?" he cried. "We can't just barge in and shoot him. Terrorists like this don't operate like we're used to. We'd be dead on the spot."

With a toss of my head, I folded my arms across my chest. "Fine," I replied, changing the subject completely. "You work on your plan. I'll do my own."

"Emerald."

There was that tone of voice again. Glancing over my shoulder, I stared into Tony's eyes, determination shining in both of our eyes.

"I would never forgive myself if you went and got yourself killed," he continued, tilting his head to one side.

I huffed as I continued to stare him down. "Why?" I asked. "Because you're too chicken to come with me?"

"No, because I love you."

His words cut through me like a knife, causing me to freeze where I was standing. I was so caught up in doing what I thought was right for the country that I forgot who I was. I had so many people that relied on me now, and here I was, still trying to be as independent as I was almost a year ago. No wonder Tony was throwing himself off of the deep end.

He had his demons, and I clearly had mine.

I sat down on the couch slowly, my entire body stiff as a board. "Am I really this reckless all of the time?" I whispered, playing back all of our arguments about protecting each other in my head.

"You're selfless," Tony replied, sitting next to me after a second. "You don't care what happens to yourself as long as you're protecting the world. If half of the planet had the same mindset, we would be in a much better place." He placed his hand on top of mine. "Unfortunately, you forget that you have people who care about you, and I'm not just talking about me."

I looked down at the ground, the guilt and shame washing over me. "I'm sorry," I murmured under my breath.

"I already watched you die once," Tony pointed out. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

Nodding, I heaved a giant sigh, relaxing into his touch. I needed to calm myself down before I sent myself into cardiac arrest. He wasn't saying no to my idea of taking down the Mandarin. I was just stupid enough to think I could do it alone and without a plan.

"I know, I know," I repeated, not wanting to hear it anymore. "I'm sorry, Tone."

I felt him press a quick kiss to my cheek before he stood up, holding out a hand for me to take. I glanced up at it curiously, my heart still beating at a slower pace than usual, but I took it anyway. At this point, I would trust anything he said or did.

"Now, about that plan," he continued, smiling in a poor attempt to get me to grin back. "We have to talk to Rhodey."

I frowned slightly. "What's Rhodey going to do about it?" I questioned.

"He works specifically for the President now."

If today could shock me to an even greater degree, this would send me over the edge.

"You're kidding," I managed to get out, my eyes bulging out of their sockets in surprise.

Sure, Rhodey did work with the government for years, but now with his War Machine suit, he was doing something bigger and better. He was helping us too.

"Even gave him a new name," Tony continued, pausing for dramatic effect. "The Iron Patriot."

This time, I couldn't hold back the laugh that spewed from my lips. I didn't realize how much I needed that smile, but once again, Tony had been right. This was just what I needed.

"Oh, I'm going to have a great time making fun of this one," I said with another chuckle as I grabbed my coat from where it was slung over the back of the couch.

I definitely could use a drink anyway.

When we reached the restaurant, I immediately handed Tony a pair of his signature sunglasses and placed a ball cap over my blonde locks. I really wasn't in the mood to be bombarded with paparazzi today.

Rhodey, on the other hand, didn't even hesitate to wave us over to his table. I slipped the hat off of my head when I reached the table, shaking out my hair with a smile.

"I was wondering how long you two would stop making out in time to join me," Rhodey commented with a smirk.

I promptly pulled Tony's best friend into a tight hug. He seemed surprised after our last encounter ending with me storming out, but I had faith that he knew how messed up Tony and I were after the Battle of New York. I wasn't sure what we would have done without each other. With Rhodey, it wasn't anything personal, and from the teasing smirk he still donned, I knew he realized that too.

"Rhodey!" I exclaimed, pulling away and sitting next to him. "Or should I say Iron Patriot?"

Rhodey held his hands up in the air. "Hey now, it was President Ellis's idea," he said.

"That is our government, ladies and gentlemen," Tony put in, finally putting down his sunglasses and grinning towards the pair of us. "This is how we respond to terrorist threats. You take the guy they call War Machine and give him a paint job."

"It tested well with focus groups, alright?" he retorted, signaling to the waitress to bring over more drinks.

Tony squinted one eye towards his friend, putting the most aggressive look on his face that he could manage. "I am Iron Patriot," he tested out before shaking his head in denial. "See, it doesn't really fit, not the same effect."

"Still better than Iron Woman," Rhodey retorted right as the waitress dropped three beers in front of us.

I tipped my glass in his direction, instantly taking a sip after to nurse my wounded soul. "Touché," I responded.

"Listen," Rhodey defended once again. "War Machine was a little too aggressive, alright?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe aggressive is what America needs right now," I pointed out. "Did the President ever consider that?"

"He believes that this sends a better message."

"Depends on who you're talking to," I replied easily.

I was shocked at how I was able to discuss the matters with little difficulty that set me off on a tangent before. I chalked it up to friends and beer. It was the ultimate cure-all.

"She's right," Tony interjected before he leaned in, double checking to make sure that no one else was eavesdropping on our conversation. There were a few stares from across the room as if they were checking to make sure that Tony Stark was actually at the same restaurant they were at, but nothing worth taking care of. "So, what's really going on with the Mandarin?"

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "It's classified information, Tony," he tried to say, but from the looks that Tony and I both gave him, he sighed anyway. "Okay, okay," he added after a brief pause to consider his classification status. "There's been nine bombings-"

"Nine?" I blurted out, unable to help the distress that crept back into my heart. "Sorry, sorry, continue."

"The public only knows about three," Rhodey resumed. "But here's the thing, no one can ID a device. There's no bomb casings."

Tony tilted his head to one side, clearly concerned about his friend's lack of knowledge about explosives. "Uh, can't have a bomb without the casings," he said. "Tell your people that they need to work harder." He paused, holding a finger in the air, and I could have guessed what was coming out of his mouth next. "You know, I can help," he interpolated. "Just ask. I've got a bunch of new tech: prehensile suit, bomb disposal, catches explosions mid-air."

"Unless it wasn't a bomb," I interrupted, stopping the train wreck before it happened.

Rhodey turned his gaze back towards me, a slight crinkle in his forehead. "What?"

"Unless there weren't bomb casings because it wasn't a bomb. That's what the Mandarin wanted us to believe."

Rhodey shook his head. "What would it be if it wasn't a bomb?" he questioned, already poking holes in my thought process.

"I don't know," I responded, taking another sip of my beer. "I'm no weapons expert, but Tony's right. You can't have a bomb without casings."

I wasn't sure if Tony was paying attention to the conversation at hand here, but he finally raised an eyebrow in our direction. "You know," he stated, re-interjecting himself in the conversation. "Em here thinks she's smarter than I sometimes, but I'm the genius. Everyone-"

He was very lucky that Rhodey interrupted whatever he was about to say next. I considered shoving my idiot of a boyfriend off of the stool he was sitting on.

"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Rhodey questioned.

That was a question I knew he didn't want to answer.

"Einstein slept three hours a year, and look what he did," Tony pointed out, avoiding the inquiry as I expected.

Rhodey exchanged a quick glance with me, but I kept my mouth shut. I already voiced my opinions way too often. Hopefully, if he heard it from Rhodey instead, he would take it more to heart.

"People are concerned about you, Tony," he said, tilting his head to one side. "We are concerned about you."

I took another sip of my beer as both Rhodey and Tony turned to look at me. My eyes widened as I felt their gaze burning into the sides of my face. Still, I said nothing.

"Hey, she sleeps next to me and doesn't say a damn thing," Tony commented, gesturing towards me with his drink. "You gonna come at me like this?"

"Tony," I warned him, shaking my head towards Rhodey.

Rhodey heaved a sigh, pushing further than I could. "No, look, I'm not trying to be a dic-" he broke off as two kids approached our table. "Tator."

I stifled a chuckle at his close save, the kids staring over at us wide-eyed. Honestly, I was waiting for someone to approach us. Our celebrity status was known, even with our ball caps and sunglasses.

"Would you sign my drawing, Mr. and Mrs. Stark?" the younger boy asked us, pushing his crayon drawing of Iron Man towards us.

I almost spit out the rest of my drink, my eyes bulging at the kid's assumption. "Oh, we're not married-" I tried to clarify, wiping the corners of my mouth.

"Only if Richard doesn't mind," Tony interrupted, taking the crayon from the kid's hand and doodling on the side of the picture. "You alright with this, Dick?"

Rolling my eyes, it was clear that he was playing off of Rhodey's save, but if I glanced between the two kids and my childish boyfriend sitting next to me, I would have said the kids were acting more mature.

"Fine with me," Rhodey commented, copying my irritated expression.

I snatched the crayon out of Tony's hand before he could ruin the kids' drawing and quickly scribbled my name on the bottom of my paper. "What's your name?" I asked the older kid, noticing how quiet she was being compared to her brother.

"Erin."

Tony, however, was giving the younger brother a sideways glance. "I loved you in a Christmas story," he commented, and my mouth actually fell open as I passed the paper back to him.

His only saving grace was the fact that the kids probably didn't understand his reference.

"Listen," Rhodey whispered back to me while Tony occupied himself with the drawing. "The Pentagon is scared. After what happened in New York, with aliens, they need to look strong. Stopping the Mandarin is a priority, but…" He trailed off, not wanting to say anything offensive.

"It's not superhero business," I input, filling in the blanks.

Rhodey sighed. "No, it's not quite frankly," he said. "It's American business."

I heard a snap from beside me, and I turned my head back towards Tony to see him holding his head in his hands. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I wasn't entirely sure what happened, but I could hear him breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, searching for his face.

"I broke the crayon," I heard him mumble, his breathing coming in short gasps.

Rotating my head around, I shot Rhodey a concerned gaze at Tony's public display of breaking down. This was not going to end well. Rhodey immediately handed the drawing back to the older child, thanking them both with his eyes.

"Hey Tony," I whispered, rubbing my hand in circles on his back. "Take it easy. It's okay."

The younger child leaned in to murmur what I presumed to be a thank you to us, but Tony instantly shot to his feet, shrugging me off. "What did you say?" he questioned, his eyes wide.

He looked like an animal trapped in a cage, and for once, I had no idea what to do.

"Sorry," he cried, his eyes darting every which way. "I have to… have to check the car, check something…"

I barely had a second to breathe in and out before Tony darted out of the door of the restaurant. I was frozen in place as I inspected Rhodey's equally concerned gaze. We were both lost in the dark here.

"I'm terribly sorry about that," I said before I sprinted out after Tony. I caught him halfway into the car we drove here, his hands still shaking. "Tony!" I shouted, practically laying across the hood of the car to prevent him from driving away. "What the hell is going on?"

Tony still wouldn't look me in the eyes, his sunglasses covering his terrified expression. "Sorry, Em," he said softly. "Something's come up."

"Tony, you can tell me," I urged, shaking my head. "This isn't a good look. Come on, let's go back inside."

I leaned back for a second, concern shining across my features. He still wasn't even looking in my direction, consumed by his own panic.

"Sorry, I gotta split."

I felt Rhodey jog up behind me right as Tony pulled out of the parking lot and zoomed down the street. Heaving a loud sigh, I shook my head, trying not to feel as shut out as I did.

"Did he just drive away without you?" Rhodey observed, raising an eyebrow as I turned around to face him.

"Yeah, I may need a ride," I said, still staring in the direction that Tony just drove off in.

He nodded, an equally anxious expression on his face. "No problem, did he say what was up?" he asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I've never seen him like this before. I'm really worried, Rhodey."

Rhodey placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, trying not to show how worried he really was. "If anyone can figure him out, it's you," he said, to which I sent him a forced smile.

"Here's to hoping."

We all had been through a lot these past months, Tony more than most, but at least in prior occasions, I was able to either talk him down from his panic attack or lend an ear to listen. He had never shut me out before.

For the first time, I was evidently worried.


	7. Chapter 7

**EMERALD**

I was already halfway home in Rhodey's car when my phone rang. Sighing, I fumbled through my purse, searching for the nagging ring. I already was annoyed, and the last thing I wanted was to hear from Pepper again.

However, I was shocked to see Happy Hogan's name across the screen.

"Hello?" I questioned suspiciously, my brow furrowing. A part of me wondered if he already heard about Tony's incident from the restaurant.

Happy was nonchalant, per usual. "Yeah Em, it's me," he said, getting straight to the point.

"How's the new head of security doing?" I asked, forcing a happy tone into my voice. I hoped he was just calling for a friendly conversation. I wasn't sure how much more drama I could take.

"Look," he practically snapped, his defense mechanism showing clear as day. "It's a real job, I'm happy, everyone's great-"

I didn't have time for this. "Happy, what's going on?" I finally inquired, cutting him off. "Are you harassing the interns again?"

Hearing Happy sigh from the other end of the phone, I knew I was pushing things. "Let me tell you something," he said. "You know what happened when I told people that I was Iron Man's bodyguard? They laughed in my face. I had to leave while I still had a shred of dignity." He sighed again. "Now, I have a real job," he continued. "I'm watching Pepper."

"And the rest of the company," I clarified before I paused slightly. "Happy, why did you call me?"

Happy's agitation was growing by the second as I refused to let him ramble for hours. "Because I can't reach Tony, idiot," he said.

"Hey now."

"Pepper's meeting up with this scientist," he finally stated. "Looks rich, very handsome. I couldn't make out his face at first, and you know, I'm good at faces."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, you're the best," I added, playing into his emotions so he would spit out the rest of the story.

"Yeah, so I run his credentials, and then, I make him," he continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Aldrich Killian."

If I was supposed to understand who that was, I definitely missed some conversation. At this point, I rarely paid much attention to what Happy was saying about the workers. He just felt like he had to tell someone. Still, the name didn't ring any bells.

"Who?"

"Tony and I actually met the guy back in… somewhere in '99," Happy explained. "Some science conference."

I shook my head, ignoring Rhodey's confused expression burning into the side of my face. "I've never heard of him," I said, trying my hardest to remember if his name ever came up in a conversation. It didn't ring a bell.

"Doesn't matter," Happy retorted, eager to get to his point. "At first, the meeting was fine. They were talking business, but now, it's getting weird. He's showing her his big brain."

Holding the phone away from my ear for a moment, I really thought I misheard him.

"His what?" I questioned, my forehead crinkling in confusion.

"His big brain," Happy repeated. "And she likes it."

Heaving a sigh, I threw an exasperated look towards Rhodey, signaling that I was over this conversation. "Happy, why do I care?" I asked decisively.

"Just trust me, get down here," was all he said. "I tried Tony. He didn't answer. I got you."

"Happy!" I exclaimed. "It's almost five o'clock at night."

All I wanted to do was get home and figure out what the hell was happening to Tony. He was in a mood to be alone, and that was the last thing he actually needed. I needed to be there for him, as much as he hated it.

"Don't talk to me like that," Happy replied. "Alright, I don't work for you, and I don't trust this guy. He's got another guy with him too. Definitely shifty."

"I think you need to relax," I said. "Tell him to go out for a drink or something."

Apparently, my suggestion didn't fly with Stark Industries' new bodyguard.

"You know what?" he retorted. "I think you and Tony should take more interest about what's going on here. This guy did not hit it off with us at that conference. In fact, I think he was pissed off. And now, he's down here talking to Pepper who just so happens to hate your guts."

If my day could get any worse, it just did.

"Thanks."

"This whole thing is shifty," he kept going without noticing my annoyed hesitation. "Let's say Pepper agrees to this giant brain thing. Next thing you know, he's taking over the company, and guess who's getting booted out. The person that Pepper can't stand, and the person that Aldrich Killian can't stand."

Okay, maybe Happy did have a point.

I breathed in through my nostrils and out through my mouth slowly, considering the options at hand here. If I ignored the entire situation that Happy was describing, Pepper could be making a huge mistake and ruin not only the reputation that Tony built at Stark Industries but could lead to a disaster at hand. However, if I stepped in, I knew that I couldn't just barge into their meeting without probable cause. I needed a plan if I was really going to do this.

"You said there's a giant brain?" I asked, wanting to make sure that I had my facts straight.

"Yeah, a giant brain, a shifty character," Happy repeated, sounding slightly more relieved that I was taking him more seriously than before. "You know what, I'm going to follow this guy."

Pepper met with hundreds of sellers in a week. Why was Happy so spooked about this one in particular? His instincts weren't foolproof, for sure, but I trusted him. The only person who I didn't trust right now was sitting in that meeting. He was right. I needed to get in there.

A second later, an idea practically bashed me over the head. Pepper had just presented me with the perfect solution.

"Do something better," I responded after a moment's pause. "Run his plates. I'll be there in ten."

I practically stabbed the end call button before I turned back to Rhodey who was pretending to look less guilty about eavesdropping as he felt.

"Change of plans," was all I commented before he spun the car around, heading back in the direction of Stark Industries.

What I didn't know at the time was just what I was getting myself into.

I didn't even stop at the receptionist's desk this time. Barging my way through the constant sea of people, I stopped outside the elevator, heaving a deep sigh. Once I walked into the room to find Pepper, I couldn't turn back. Still, I barely hesitated.

This was Tony's company, after all. I had nothing to worry about.

I flung open the door to Pepper's office, looking like I was in a hurry instead of just concerned. Clapping my hands together, I pretended to look shocked at the pair of them staring at me.

"Oh my gosh," I explained, honey practically dripping from my voice. "Am I late? I thought the meeting was at five. Was it at four?"

Happy certainly wasn't wrong about his description of the events unfolding before my eyes.

Aldrich Killian, looking less like a con artist and more like a competitor the longer I looked at him, tilted his head to one side at my arrival. He was attractive, I could give Pepper the benefit of the doubt, but there was something about him that seemed off. He had personal motives at stake here, and from the looks of the holographic brain projected across Pepper's office, he was very close to selling her something dangerous.

Aldrich opened his mouth to say something, but I wasn't going to let him talk over me.

Forcing a smile on my face, I sauntered over to his side, ignoring Pepper completely, and stuck out a hand for him to shake. "Hi, I'm Emerald Maitland," I introduced myself.

"Ah," Aldrich said, shaking my hand slowly. The recognition that dawned on his face was unmistakable. I wasn't quite sure how beneficial that was to me at this point. "The woman who managed to break through the cage of Tony Stark's heart."

The analogy already rubbed me the wrong way, and I wondered what Tony had said to him all of those years ago. From what Happy described, the meeting had not gone well.

"I prefer superhero or Avenger," I commented back, the sick smile still plastered across my cheeks. "But that's a close second."

I finally turned back to face Pepper, her destructive gaze burning holes through my skin. "What are you doing here?" she questioned rudely.

I never let the smile fade, however.

"Right, I forgot to include my title," I added, turning back to Aldrich. "I'm the new CEO of Stark Industries. We haven't really had a formal announcement yet." I shrugged my shoulders, faking a nonchalant face. "You know how it works around here. It really is a pleasure to meet you, Mister…" I trailed off, pretending not to know a single thing about the man standing before me.

"Aldrich Killian."

I sat down in the nearest chair, crossing my legs together in the most professional way I could manage. It was bad enough that I was clearly not dressed for a meeting, but I tried to play it off. Next to Pepper, I definitely wouldn't have looked put together in any outfit.

"So, why don't you catch me up?" I offered, gesturing to the brain still hovering above us. "I'm terribly sorry for being late once again."

Pepper perched herself on the armrest of the chair, a slight frown crinkling her forehead. "What are you doing?" she whispered, angling herself away from Aldrich.

"Accepting your offer," I answered, keeping my voice low as well.

Judging from Pepper's surprised expression, she wasn't expecting me to change my mind. To be honest, I wasn't either.

"So, what exactly is all of this, Mr. Killian?" I asked, drawing Pepper's expression back towards our guest. I knew I was going to hear it from her later anyway.

"Please, call me Aldrich," he said with a smile before turning back to the holographic diagram. "This is Extremis." He paused, zooming in on a single nerve and empty space in the brain. "Well, actually, here it is. It harnesses our bioelectrical potential. This here is essentially an empty slot, and what that tells us is that our mind, our entire DNA in fact, is destined to be upgraded. Imagine if you could hack into the hard drive of any living organism and re-code its DNA."

With his words alone, I instantly felt paranoia creeping in my system. I would never admit it to Happy's face, but I was so glad I hijacked this meeting.

Pepper, on the other hand, didn't see what I saw when hearing his pitch. "That would be incredible," she said, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

"It also sounds highly weaponizable," I added. "You know, enhanced soldiers, private armies-"

Aldrich didn't want me to finish my sentence clearly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Ms. Maitland," he commented, "but you fought in your own private army alongside an enhanced soldier."

"If you're referring to the Avengers and Steve Rogers, that was completely different," I replied.

"How so?"

Pepper was being uncharacteristically silent, and I knew she was thriving in how animated we had gotten in the past minute.

"That was all experimentation," I said, shaking my head.

"And so is Extremis," Aldrich fired back. "If anything, this is more reliable than your super soldier because we already know the results."

Okay, it was time to play a different card.

"If this were Tony-" I started to say, but Aldrich's bark of a laugh cut me off.

"Ah, I was wondering when someone would use the magic word," he replied with a smile. "You know, I invited Tony to join my company, AIM, but something tells me that there's a new genius on the throne. Two of them, in fact, and from the looks of it, they don't have to answer to Tony."

He wasn't wrong, but that was not what worried me at the moment.

"Pepper," I said, changing my focus to the woman sitting next to me. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

To be fair, she didn't really have much of a choice, and she realized that.

As we walked over to the far corner of the office, I quickly glanced over my shoulder at where Aldrich was still standing next to his holographic diagram of the brain, a smug appearance on his face.

"You can't seriously be considering this," I voiced my opinions aloud in a soft murmur.

Pepper gave a detached shrug. "He has potential," she pointed out. "Just look at his ideas, Emerald. He can really shape this company."

"The company with Tony's name on it," I said. "Like it or not, he's still here, and we both know that there is no way he would go for this." I gave her a knowing look, hoping that she understood that this went way beyond who was involved with who at this point.

She didn't say anything more to me. After staring at me intently for another moment, she headed back in Aldrich's direction. Worriment gripped my chest that she was going to defy me, but as soon as I saw her heave a sigh, I knew I had convinced her. At least for now.

"It's going to be a no, Aldrich," Pepper finally stated. "As much as I'd like to help you."

Aldrich glanced over where I was still standing in the corner, arms folded across my chest. Judging from his smirk, he had an alternate plan, one that I knew was going to blow up in my face. It never came.

"I can't say that I'm not disappointed," he replied, sighing in response. "But I can understand. I have a feeling that I will be seeing you again, Ms. Maitland."

Pepper gave him a warmer smile than the knowing look I was shooting him, putting a hand on his arm. "I'll walk you out," she uttered before the pair of them disappeared out the door.

I counted to five, making sure that they weren't coming back in a hurry, before I clenched my jaw. I was thankful that the meeting didn't end in a different way, but there was something that still didn't settle with me.

Another split second passed before I whipped out my cell phone, speed dialing Happy in a hurry. He picked up in less than a single ring.

"Run his plates," I said. "He's on his way out."

"Copy that."

If Aldrich was out here experimenting with re-coding DNA and mind controlling essentially, I had no idea what other genius was going to saunter into Pepper's office and propose to her next. I had to keep my guard up and my eyes open.

If she was looking for a way to push Tony and me out, this would have been the perfect opportunity. It was too close.

I had just subjected myself to a daily battle.


	8. Chapter 8

**EMERALD**

As I finally got back to the house, I heaved a large sigh, wishing more than anything that I could redo this entire day. I was already ticked off that Happy had to drop me off at my own house, but I was more concerned with the giant 20-foot tall stuffed bunny sitting in the driveway.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath before I dared to head inside the house. If that was my apology present from Tony, I didn't want to see what was next.

Still, despite my better judgment, I shouted his name as soon as I stepped foot inside. "Tony!" I cried. "We need to talk about what happened earlier today!"

Practically tossing my keys on the kitchen counter, I rounded the corner into the living room, stopping dead in my tracks when I laid eyes on Tony in his Iron Man suit sprawled across the couch as if he was waiting for me.

"You're wearing this in the house now?" I questioned, folding my arms across my chest.

"Why don't you go put yours on and join me?" he answered my question with another question, raising an eyebrow.

I made a face, sitting on the chair across from him. "Your attempts to be romantic disgust me," I replied, shaking my head. "We need to talk about what happened at the restaurant today."

Today really had been the longest day in existence. Between finding out about the Mandarin, Tony's anxiety attack, accepting the CEO position at Stark Industries after turning it down just this morning, and Pepper and Aldrich's creepy meeting, I wasn't sure what else I would be able to handle at this point.

"What we need to talk about is what you think about your Christmas present," he commented, getting to his feet and walking behind my chair. "You saw it, right?"

"I don't know how I could have missed that Christmas present," I said, rolling my eyes. "How are you going to fit it through the door?"

Tony paused, scratching his metal-clad helmet. "Well, uh, actually that's a good question," he pondered aloud. "I got a team of guys coming tomorrow. They're gonna blow out that wall."

My lie detector immediately went off, causing me to make another face. "I bet," I responded sarcastically.

"You seem tense," Tony said after a moment's pause, resting his hands on my shoulders.

I turned around in my chair, raising an eyebrow. "I'm tense because you're avoiding the point," I replied.

"And what point is that?"

"That you clearly had an anxiety attack, Tony," I cried, throwing my hands in the air. "And you drove off without me."

He tilted his head to one side, the silence lingering in the air for dramatic effect. "Did that happen?" he finally asked. "I don't remember it."

"You are unbelievable," I snapped, facing away from him. If Rhodey could push Tony further than he wanted to discuss, then I could too.

Tony, however, sensed the shift in me and changed the subject yet again. He wasn't getting away with it that easily.

"I don't mean to harp on this, but did you like the custom bunny?" he asked, and I could practically hear him grinning behind his helmet.

My eyebrows skyrocketed to the top of my forehead. "Did I like it?" I repeated slowly, emphasizing each word in an attempt for Tony to realize how idiotic he was being.

"Nailed it."

He didn't get the hint.

I sighed, getting to my feet and placing my hands on the sides of the Iron Man helmet. "Well, I appreciate the thought very much," I said with a smile. "So, why don't you lift up that face mask and give me a kiss?"

"You might punch me," Tony read my mind in a split second, causing me to chuckle.

"That is also a possibility."

He paused, not wanting to take any chances when it came to my determination to discuss his mental health. "You want to just kiss it on the, uh, facial slit?" he suggested.

"I'll just find a crowbar," I replied, sending a smirk over my shoulder.

If Tony was going to be that stubborn when it came to discussing things that actually mattered, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands. My patience only went so far.

Turning away from him, I immediately headed towards the stairs that led down into Tony's workshop. There had to be something down there that I could use against him.

"Uh, not down there," he tried again to stop me. "There's a radiation leak."

He was going to have to try harder than that.

"I'll take my chances," I responded, skipping a few steps in my rush to beat him to the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm naked in this thing."

Okay, that was a new angle.

Still, I shrugged my shoulders, smirking over my shoulder towards him. "Even better," I replied before I turned to face the glass-windowed panel that led into his workshop.

However, the door was already wide open, and Tony himself was sitting there, working on yet another suit. My face immediately hardened back into the agitated mask it was when I returned home in the first place, and I glanced back at the Iron Man suit that had followed me down the stairs.

That wasn't even Tony at all, or at least not really. He actually remote-controlled the Iron Man suit to keep me occupied.

"You truly are unbelievable," I said, my glare deepening as I stared at him.

Tony glanced to his right, placing a crowbar in his hand and offering it over to me. "I found a crowbar," he declared, although I could sense the hesitation in his voice.

Even he knew he screwed up.

I took the crowbar out of his hand, forcing a sarcastic smile on my face. "Aw thanks, honey," I stated before I threw the crowbar back at his head.

Tony ducked at the last second, avoiding the collision with his skull. To be fair, I knew he would dodge the appliance easily enough. Even so, the smile faded back into the glower on my facial features.

"You are incredibly violent," Tony pointed out, setting down the rest of his tools.

"You are incredibly lame," I fired back.

Tony gestured with his hands at the work scattered around on tables around him. As if that was an excuse for why he was too busy to spend time with me.

"He was just-" he tried to explain, but I wasn't here for it.

"You mean you-"

He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Well yeah, I just meant that we were just hosting you while I finished up some work," he defended himself. "I didn't know if you were coming home or if you were having dinner as the new CEO of Stark Industries with Aldrich Killian."

I felt both the Iron Man suit and Tony turn their gazes back on me, and my mouth actually fell open at his accusation. "What the hell?" I spluttered.

"I returned Happy's phone call," he explained. "But it seemed like you were already taking care of the situation."

I really didn't owe him a vindication at this point, even if it was still his company. He passed the ownership over to Pepper over two years ago.

"Oh no," I said, pointing a finger towards him. "You can't pull that card. I only took the position because it was my only ticket into that meeting between Pepper and Aldrich."

"Oh, he's Aldrich now?" Tony questioned, only fueling my anger even more.

He needed to be done accusing me of saving his company… again.

"Are you being serious?" I cried. "I have no plans to work for Pepper or for you, but I had to think fast on my feet. There was no other way I was going to find out what Aldrich was trying to sell Pepper, and it's a damn good thing I was there too. Otherwise, Pepper would have purchased a mind-control superhuman weapon for the world." I shook my head, watching his facial expression fall with every sentence I added to my rant. "You're welcome. I'm going to bed."

As soon as I turned away to head back upstairs, I heard Tony get to his feet, his chair scraping against the bottom of the floor. I paused, waiting for his snarky comment that I was sure to follow. It never came.

"Em," he said so softly that I thought I missed it. "Please."

I closed my eyes and reopened them a second later, slowly pivoting back around to face Tony again. My face was still hardened from the rage I felt, but I instantly melted at his saddened expression.

"I admit it!" he finally declared, running one hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I'm a piping hot mess. It's been going on for a while, and I haven't said anything."

I raised one eyebrow. "I'm not blind," I commented.

"Nothing's been the same since New York," he added, glancing up at me.

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically. "I didn't notice that at all."

Tony shook his head, trying to put his emotions into words. "You experience things, and then, they're over, and you can't explain them," he finally stated. "Gods, aliens, other dimensions, I'm just a man in a can."

This was the first time that I heard him even discuss the possibility that our stint with the Avengers affected him way more than he let on.

"Tony, I was there," I responded softly, trying to get to the root of his anxiety.

"Not in the wormhole," he retorted almost instantly. "You didn't see what I saw. You didn't see that horror." He broke off, shaking his head. "The only reason I haven't cracked up is because of you. I love you, and I am so lucky for that, but honey, I can't sleep. You go to bed, and I come down here. I do what I know… I tinker."

I took a few steps closer to where Tony was standing, my gaze softening. A part of me wanted to break down and cry, but I had to hold it together. Right now, he needed me.

"Tony, I've seen it in you since Central Park," I responded. "You lost a part of yourself in that wormhole. I get that." I finally took the remaining steps to close the distance between us and pressed my hands on the side of his head. "It's okay to be not okay," I whispered. "I've just been waiting for you to admit it for so long."

"It's not just right now, Em," he continued, pressing himself against my hands. "It's the future. It's everywhere. The threat is imminent, and I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without." He lifted his head up to look into my eyes. "That's you."

I pressed a tiny kiss to his forehead, shooting a tiny smile towards him. "You will never lose me, okay?" I declared. "I can take care of myself even when you're not there."

"If anything-" he started to say, breaking off a moment later. I could tell his mind was currently in a million different directions, and I wasn't about to lose him to the darkness again.

"Don't," I interrupted. "Don't go there."

No matter how many times I thought about it, it always blew my mind just how far Tony and I have come to be where we are now. The PTSD aside, it was almost unbelievable if I hadn't witnessed it myself.

Heaving another sigh, I pulled away from him, placing a careful smile on my lips. "I'm going to take a shower," I said softly.

"Okay," Tony responded, turning back to his tools to gather his thoughts again.

I raised an eyebrow in his direction, unable to keep a signature smirk from my face. "And you're going to come with me," I added.

He stood up in a split second, nodding in my direction. "Better."

For once, Tony actually fell asleep next to me, a rarity when it came to his insomnia. I was just happy that he would at least get a few hours of sleep. From the way he was clutching his pillow with the arm that wasn't wrapped around my waist, I knew that it wasn't a peaceful sleep. Still, I took what I could get.

I wasn't sure what woke me up first, the involuntarily tightening of Tony's hand on my hip or the whimper falling out of his lips. Either way, my eyes immediately shot open at the sound of his evident nightmare.

"Tony?" I whispered, rolling over in an effort to face him. It didn't even faze him. "Tony?"

I tried repeating his name a few times quietly before his face scrunched up in pain. Whatever dream he was having, it wasn't doing him any good. "I can't do it," I barely heard him mumble in his sleep before I heaved a heavy sigh.

"Come on, Tone, you have to wake up," I breathed out slowly, trying to get him to calm down from the sound of my voice. That did nothing, apparently.

I resorted to shaking his shoulder next. Evidently, I probably shouldn't have skipped the steps in between whispering and shouting.

One minute, Tony was tensing his entire body in the middle of a nightmare, and the next, he flipped me onto my back, a hand pressing down on my chest. While I was glad that my actions had jerked him back into consciousness, this was not the reaction I was expecting.

He flung himself away from my body when he realized who it was that he was pining to the bed. That reaction only terrified me, not because I feared for myself but because I feared for whatever was so ingrained in his blood that he felt someone was there to attack him at every second of the day.

"Jesus Christ," he said, shaking his head as he scrambled to the edge of the bed.

I coughed, feeling the weight of his hand against my chest for a second longer until I sat up, watching him hold his head in his hands. "Tony," I responded, catching my own breath.

"Please, Em," he responded weakly, shifting further away from me. "I-I can't…"

Despite his protests, I scooted closer to him, pressing a tiny kiss to his shoulder as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "It's okay," I murmured. "Everything is going to be okay. I got you."

"What if it happens again?" he said, choking out his words. "Next time, I could seriously hurt you, and-"

I shook my head, tightening my grip around his waist. "I'm not going anywhere," I whispered.

"It's the nightmares," he tried to say, but I wouldn't let him talk anymore. He needed to calm down before he sent himself into cardiac arrest. This was getting worse by the day, and for once, I had no idea how to help.

"I know," I repeated over and over again, giving him as much of my body weight as I could. "I know."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Fooling You - Rachel Platten

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	9. Chapter 9

**EMERALD**

Among the several other tasks Pepper had given me as the new CEO of Stark Industries, getting up early was not my favorite on the list. After the ordeal Tony and I went through last night, I should have been exhausted, and yet, I was in the best mood possible.

"Good morning!" I announced my arrival as I stepped through the glass doors at Stark Industries. "The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, we are working today."

The receptionist raised her eyebrow as she laid eyes on me. "Aren't you in a good mood today, Ms. Maitland?" she observed aloud.

"Thank you for noticing," I answered with a grin. "Now, where is my boss today?"

I chalked it up to being overtired, but whatever trials Pepper wanted to put me through today, I felt like I could handle it. At this point, I could handle anything.

"Emerald."

I spun around on my toes, adjusting my blazer as Happy approached me. I let out a tiny smile at the sight of him.

"What's going on, Happy?" I questioned. "We missed you at the house this morning."

"I'm probably glad I wasn't there," he pointed out, causing me to roll my eyes in response.

"You wound me."

Happy laid a hand gently on my arm, steering me off to the side where no one else could eavesdrop. I only hoped that he was able to find out information about our meeting with Aldrich Killian yesterday.

After he dropped me off at the house, Happy informed me that he was about to follow Aldrich's lead from the license plate. If taking this position was for nothing, my good mood was about to be ruined.

"We need to talk," he said in a low tone of voice. "About Killian."

"Did you find anything?" I questioned.

To my dismay, however, Happy only shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "But it's bigger than you know."

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"He's shifty."

I made a quick face in his direction. "Happy," I said slowly. "I'm the one who told you that. If you have news for me, spit it out."

"I can't get into it now," he finally responded, "but I promise that I will prove it to you. What did Tony say about the situation?"

To be perfectly honest, I forgot to mention anything about Aldrich to Tony. Between his admission to his PTSD trauma and the nightmares that plagued his dreams, Tony didn't need to know about what happened with Aldrich. I had the situation handled, or so I thought.

"Uh, yesterday was a rough day," I admitted, tilting my head to one side.

Happy gave me a knowing look. "You're not taking this seriously," he commented.

"Happy," I sighed, trying not to seem as discouraged as I felt. There were so many possibilities of why Aldrich showed up unexpected to meet with Pepper, and my mind was immediately darting to the worst ones.

Before I had the chance to say anything else, however, Pepper emerged from the elevator doors, beelining for where Happy and I were standing.

"Emerald," she said, not even announcing her arrival. "You're late."

I was actually early, but I wasn't in the mood to argue. "I had a busy morning," I said, glancing over my shoulder towards her.

Pepper changed her tactic, glancing up towards Happy instead. "I appreciate the help, Happy, but you can't protect all of us when you're gabbing," she pointed out.

Happy, to my appreciation, ignored all of Pepper's comments. "I will find out the truth about this, Emerald," he said towards me, backing away from the conversation.

"Happy, just wait," I tried to say.

Pepper stopped me with another glare to the back of my head. "Emerald, we have a meeting," she declared, shaking her head. "Do you want to be the CEO or not?"

She was really testing my patience.

"We'll talk later, Happy," I responded, resting my hand on top of his with a small nod before I turned back and followed Pepper back into the elevator.

We stood there in silence as we rode the elevator up to her office. As the door dinged and we stepped out, I ran a hand through my hair. "Do you literally have to be rude twenty-four seven?" I finally asked.

I tried my hardest to suppress my emotions since I knew Pepper was trying to get under my skin, but there was a lot boiling on the surface. There was only one way to go.

"You signed on for the job, remember?" Pepper said, stopping in her tracks and spinning around to face me. "In fact, I am a little confused. I thought you said something along the lines of I would give you a stroke."

"I think I said heart attack, actually," I replied with a smirk before I shook my head. "I was just playing, Pep. You should know that I take after Tony by now."

We resumed our saunter towards her office, despite the suspicious glances we kept giving each other. When she opened the door for me to step inside, I almost thought the conversation was over, and we could move on. When she closed the door behind me, however, I knew I was being naïve.

"I have a thought," she announced, making her way behind her desk. "Do you want to hear it?"

Laughing, I shook my head. "Are you really giving me a choice?" I questioned.

"I think you were somehow informed about Aldrich," she said, "and you wanted to make sure I didn't turn on you and Tony."

She was dead right, but I wasn't about to admit it to her face.

"That's a big conspiracy theory, Pep," I teased, leaning back in my chair. "I simply changed my mind. A woman is allowed to do that, you know."

From the look that Pepper was giving me, I knew she didn't believe my story. I didn't honestly blame her.

"Pepper, you were right," I added with a sigh, pretending to relent my joking matter. "I need some stability in my life that's not chasing down terrorists."

She sat there for another moment or two, narrowing her gaze in my direction as if she was trying to see if I was telling the truth or not. After a heavy exhale from her lips, I knew she was done arguing for now. I considered that a win.

"Have you ever worked in an industries firm before?" she finally asked, changing the subject.

I raised my eyebrow, all of my doubts about the reason I turned down the job in the first-place resurfacing. I was highly unqualified, but I wasn't backing down now.

"I have a business degree," I pointed out unhelpfully.

Pepper still rolled her eyes. "We have a lot of work to do," she commented, to which I winced slightly. This was going to be a long day.

I spent the majority of the day catching up on Stark Industries' current policies and strategies for the future. Whenever I had a moment to myself, however, I managed to shuffle through enough papers and files to discover who had been meeting with Pepper within the past month. What I didn't find, however, was any information pertaining to her meeting, well our meeting with Aldrich Killian. That alone should have set off red flags.

"Killian," I mumbled, shaking my head. "Killian. Where are all of the goddamn files?"

Apparently, I asked my last question a little too loud.

A worker who had been walking past stopped in his tracks, tilting his head to one side as he noticed me visibly shuffling through Pepper's papers. "Can I help you?" he questioned.

Not noticing him until he spoke, I practically jumped out of my skin. I didn't do well with surprises. "Jesus Christ," I cursed, holding a hand to my heart. "You scared the daylight out of me."

"Can I help you?" he repeated, taking one step into the room. "You seem distressed."

I laughed nervously, running a hand through my hair as I tried to make myself seem less guilty than I actually was. "Me?" I said, despite the expression on my face. "Never. Pepper's just out making a phone call. I'm just organizing some things."

As the worker didn't move away from his accusatory stance, I decided to play the boss card.

"I'm the new CEO," I said, holding out a hand for him to shake. He never took it.

Instead, he actually had the nerve to glance me up and down in a clear look of shock. "You?" he asked. "Oh well, congratulations."

As he exited, finally leaving me alone, I couldn't help but scoff in his direction. Now, I knew where Pepper got her attitude from. Her employees were just as bad.

Turning back to the piles of papers before me, I shook my head once more. "Does everyone around here hate me?" I mumbled under my breath again, averting my attention back to looking for Killian's name.

"Pretty much."

This time, I recognized the voice from the doorway. I closed my eyes for a moment, collecting my thoughts as I turned around to face Pepper who was leaning against the doorframe, smirking that she caught me red-handed.

"Does everyone also enjoy sneaking up on me too?" I asked, smirking back at her.

Pepper didn't budge. "Your reputation precedes you," she commented.

"Whatever, Pepper," I replied, moving away from her desk. "I know you say things about me. I know everyone only sees me as Tony's girlfriend, but-"

"Emerald," she tried to interrupt, but she wasn't about to have the last word this time.

I shook my head, stepping closer to her. "Don't lie to me, Pepper," I continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I know you only offered me this job because you want to keep an eye on me. You know what I'm capable of, I get it."

"Emerald," she said, copying my motions. "What are you looking for?"

I was not about to admit that one to her.

"Who were you on the phone with?" I countered.

Pepper paused for a moment, contemplating her options that I laid out before her. I had enough faith in me that I figured I would be able to tell if she was lying. Still, I knew she wouldn't answer the question. We were similar in that aspect.

"Aldrich Killian."

I froze where I stood, not expecting her to actually admit the truth. From the look in her eyes, there was no evidence of deceit.

"Now, what were you looking for?" she asked again, taking advantage of the fact that I was caught off guard for a moment.

Two could play at this game, Pepper.

"Aldrich Killian."

The smirk returned across Pepper's lips as I returned the same air of confidence she was displaying. This was going to be more fun than I originally thought.

"Touché," she responded, nodding slowly.

Still, I wanted more answers than just this. I folded my arms across my chest, debating how far to push my now-boss.

"Can we be honest with each other for a second?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "No bullshit?"

Pepper paused for another moment, considering my words carefully. "I was returning Aldrich's phone call," she answered slowly, stalking her way towards me. Still, I stood my ground. "He was double checking that we didn't change our minds. He thought you were influencing me."

"And?"

I barely gave her a second to breathe before I questioned her again. I wasn't necessarily inclined to believe her.

"You weren't," she snapped back. "I think the work is interesting, but I respect your decision. I hired you, after all." From my suspicious glance, she knew she was fighting a losing battle, and she sighed. "Emerald, I hired you because I wanted to keep an eye on you, yes. You're a smart woman, and I underestimated you. I won't make that same mistake again."

While I was pleasantly surprised by her decency, I wasn't quite convinced that it wasn't an act to lull me into false security.

"Thank you for being honest," I finally said, "but I never underestimated you, Pepper, not for a second. I always knew you had an alternate plan up your sleeve." I paused, raising my eyebrow. "So, what is it? You want more companies? You want Tony back? You want me out of the picture? Maybe, it's all of the above."

The shock that rang across Pepper's face looked like she had been slapped. No one could fake that, which meant I touched some sort of nerve.

"Emerald, I may not like you, yes, but I could never want you dead."

A part of me reminded myself that I never even mentioned death, but I let the punches roll regardless. "Then, what do you want?" I questioned.

"I want you to get out of Tony's life," she answered almost immediately after I asked the inquiry. "I want you to get out of my life more specifically. You're dangerous, unpredictable. Our world deserves better than Emerald Maitland."

Okay, that statement was not the one I was expecting.

Taking a few steps back in astonishment, I had no idea how to even answer that. "I'm… I'm what?" I exclaimed, my mouth falling open and closed.

"Ever since you appeared in our lives almost two years ago, it has been total chaos-"

I wasn't going to let her finish that statement. "That would have happened anyway!" I spluttered. "That's the business of being a superhero!"

"Relax, Em," Pepper purred, toning down the passive-aggressive tone of voice. "I thought we were being honest, no bullshit." Now, she was quoting me, and I was not here for it. "You're still not sharing everything with me, and I'm going to find out the truth."

"Pepper, I'm telling you the truth-" I tried to say, but I never got the chance to finish my plea.

One of Pepper's secretaries came bolting in the room, not even bothering to knock, and I broke off mid-sentence. Pepper was ready to shoot the assistant an ugly glance for interrupting us, but from one look on the secretary's face, this was something imperative.

"Pardon the interruption," she said in a breathy tone of voice. "But there's been another attack."

So much for a good day.

"What?" I asked, tilting my head to one side in an effort to make sure I heard her correctly.

The secretary took another gulp of air in before she answered in a rush. "The Mandarin," she gasped. "He attacked the Chinese Theater downtown."

The speed at which I yanked my cell phone from my pocket should have won a Guinness World Record. "You're kidding," I said, my worst fears coming to light. "I have to call Tony."

I hit the speed dial for Tony's number, my heart pounding out of my chest. I barely noticed my feet were taking me on a path for the door until the secretary placed a hand on my arm to stall my movements.

"There's worse news," she continued. "Happy was caught in the crossfire."

If there was any substance in my stomach, I would have vomited the contents out on Pepper's office floor. I felt sick.

"This is all my fault," I choked out, ending the call as I reached Tony's voicemail. "I have to go."

As I practically sprinted out of the door and into the elevator, I could vaguely hear Pepper calling out after me, but I didn't care. I was one who sent Happy to track down Aldrich's shifty bodyguards. If it was related or not, it didn't matter. He was only there because of me.

I had never felt so guilty in my entire life.


	10. Chapter 10

**EMERALD**

My entire body felt numb as I headed in a taxi towards the hospital. Guilt continued to rain down on my shoulders the longer I sat there, and I began itching in my own seat to combat the internal pain. If Happy was lost to the world today, that would be on me.

I hadn't even noticed I was staring at the small television screen in the back of the taxi until the screen showed those familiar rainbow lines again, signaling tampering with the news station. That could only mean one thing.

Practically punching the volume button on the tiny screen, my eyes were glued to the blurred screen as the Mandarin appeared once again. My jaw immediately clenched, waiting to hear his inevitable words. I know I had promised Tony that I would take it easy when it came to this new terrorist, but I wasn't sure how much strength I had left to hold myself back.

"Here's the true story about fortune cookies," he stated matter-of-factly. "They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they're actually an American invention which is why they're hollow, full of lies, and leave a bad taste in your mouth." He paused, looking directly at the camera. "My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knockoff, the Chinese theatre. Mr. President, I know this must be frustrating, but this season of terror is coming to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming."

As the screen switched to black, indicating the end of the Mandarin's broadcast, I ran my fingers through my hair desperately. I had no idea what to do next.

"Shit," I swore loudly, kicking the hard door of the taxi in frustration.

The driver glanced over his shoulder towards me nervously for a second before he took in his surroundings. I hadn't even noticed how close we were to the hospital at this point.

"You said the main entrance?" the driver questioned.

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah."

"I'm not sure that's going to be possible," he observed, pointing to the largest crowd of reporters I had seen in a long time.

Heaving a sigh, I knew there was only one way in or out of this place. I had no other choice. To be honest, I still felt distracted from the message the Mandarin had just given. It was the only thing on my mind.

"I have to get inside somehow," I finally said, passing a wad of cash over the front of the seat to the driver. "I'm used to the spotlight by now, anyway."

I barely had one foot out of the taxi before the first reporter spotted me, flashing his camera directly in my face. "It's Emerald Maitland!" he exclaimed, earning the attention of the rest of the reporters and cameramen scattered in the front of the hospital.

Soon, they were all screaming my name to try and earn my attention. It wasn't working. Holding my hand over my eyes, I tried to block out the flashes of the camera and focus on getting through them to the front door of the hospital. A part of me wondered who they were waiting for, but then again, if they got word that Happy Hogan was taken here, someone famous was bound to show up.

"How are you holding up?" one of the reporters asked, shoving a microphone in my face.

I squinted throughout the flashes. "I'm just trying to see my friend, please," I begged, trying my hardest not to completely shove them all aside.

"What is your reaction to the Mandarin's latest attack?"

"What are you going to do about this?"

"How do you feel now that your friend is a victim of the attack?"

I almost made it past them all when I heard the last question clear as day. Freezing in my tracks, I slowly turned around, a glare plain on my face. The inconsiderate interrogations were done here.

"How do I feel?" I responded, my teeth mashing against each other. "My friend is possibly dying in there, and you're seriously asking me how I feel?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rage that was boiling in my stomach before I snapped.

"When is someone just going to kill this guy?" another reporter asked before I could get a handle on myself.

That was the end of that.

I let out another exhale before I stepped closer to the reporters, away from my intended location. "I'm only going to say this once, so you all better get it straight," I said. "Dear Mandarin, my name is Emerald Maitland, and I'm not afraid of you. I know that you're a coward. I know that you're hiding behind that television screen. I know that if you weren't so damn annoying, I would have taken you out by now." I paused for a second, letting my words sink in. "There's no politics anymore. It's just good old-fashioned revenge. I don't care what the world thinks of me anymore, and I don't care what the world thinks of you either. Forget the Pentagon, forget the White House, now it's just you and me. And on the off chance that you are a man, here's where I live. 10880 Malibu Point. I'll leave the door unlocked."

Moving away from the reporters once more, I reveled in their shocked expressions. My words were harsh, but they were true. I was done playing the civil servant.

Laughing, I shook my head towards the cameras. "That's what you all wanted to hear, right?" I said dryly before I turned my back on them and finally headed inside the hospital.

I practically broke the door to Happy's room as I tossed it carelessly, taking in the satisfying bang it made as it hit the wall. My eyes landed on a comatose Happy first before I saw the other figure sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room. I let out a sigh of relief as I made my way over to Tony's side, enveloping him in a large hug.

"Thank god," I whispered against his shoulder, resting my head there for several seconds.

I could feel Tony relax in my arms, another sign that he felt the same burden I did. "I didn't know if you were coming," he said.

I pulled away, shaking my head as I snuck another glance towards Happy. "This is all my fault," I observed softly.

"Don't blame yourself for this," he replied. "The Mandarin did this."

"I told Happy to follow a lead on Aldrich," I responded. "I pushed him away, Tony. He was probably there because of me."

I let one hand rest on top of Happy's for a moment, letting a single tear slip from my eye socket before I gathered myself together. I had bigger problems to take care of, including the fact that I had the audacity to put myself on worldwide news.

"Don't do this to yourself."

Clearly, Tony had no idea.

"I did something else," I said slowly, biting my lip. I had no idea what his reaction was going to be when I told him that I just gave the world our address.

Tony frowned slightly, eluding to the thought that just raced through my mind. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

I glanced up towards the television in Happy's room, noticing that it wasn't on any news station. Grabbing the clicker, I flicked through the channels until I settled on one that showed a mute video of me talking to the reporters. I looked insane. To be fair, I felt the same way.

"…And that was live from outside the Los Angeles General Hospital where we just heard from Emerald Maitland who sounded like she just threatened the Mandarin himself…" the reporter was saying, causing me to wince again.

"Em, what did you do?" came Tony's concerned voice from behind me.

Turning around slowly, I dared to look into his eyes. To my surprise, however, no irritation was showing there. Instead, all I saw was clear distress. I wasn't sure which one was worse.

"I lost it, Tony," I said. "I'm sick and tired of waiting around for this psychopath. I told him to take me one on one."

He sighed deeply, shaking his head. "Have you lost your mind?" he questioned softly.

The answer was most certainly yes, but I was too stubborn to admit that.

"Maybe!" I retorted, throwing my hands in the air. "But I'm done with being useless. We're superheroes, right? It's our job to save the world, no matter the threat."

Tony's small nod in my direction was enough. He knew deep down that I was right. "I love you, Em, I really do," he said, closing the distance between us and taking my hands in his. "I love that you want to protect the world. I do too, so you are crazy to think that I'm going to let you tackle this terrorist alone." He glanced back at Happy laying on the bed with another sigh. "He's my friend too."

"I don't want you to get roped into this," I protested, but he only squeezed my hands tighter.

A small smirk appeared across his lips a second later as he responded, "I would love to get roped into anything with you."

Making a face, I pulled away from him with a tiny laugh. "That sounded too sexual, moment's over," I commented, hating the way we were joking about a very serious situation. The laugh faded into a small smile as I glanced up at Tony again. How did I ever think I was going to be able to do this without him?

"We have to do something," I added a second later.

Tony's tiny smile was plenty to keep me going from now. I loved that lopsided smirk of his. "We will," he promised. "We will, Em."

Somehow, I still didn't feel convinced that everything was going to turn out fine. As it turned out, I was right.

* * *

**A/N:**Wow I haven't updated this story in a min, I'm so sorry. I saw Endgame on Thursday and IT WRECKED MY LIFE. It was the perfect movie, and I'm still crying about it. If anyone wants to discuss, feel free to DM me, I have so many IDEAS. Until then, enjoy the chapter - we'll be back to our regularly programmed Wednesday/Saturday updates next week.

Spotify Inspiration: Human - Rag'n'Bone Man

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	11. Chapter 11

**EMERALD**

I didn't feel any better about the situation two days later.

There were no updates from Happy, and the Mandarin hadn't attacked me on the streets yet. I figured he was biding his time, or he was too chicken to come and stop me himself. Either way, I was growing restless with nothing to go on. My only saving grace was that Tony was throwing himself into the work right alongside me.

"Hey."

I glanced up towards the sound of his voice, dropping my hand from where it was running patterns across my forearm nervously. My mind was completely consumed by the next steps, and the worst part was that I had none.

"You looked tired," he observed, handing me a cup of coffee.

I accepted it graciously, shaking my head as I stared at the television screen playing the same news over and over again. "I just hate feeling so helpless," I murmured.

"You haven't slept, Em," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "Who's the hypocrite now?"

I swatted him away playfully, not in the mood to argue. "I can't stop thinking about it," I said. "Why was Happy there in that exact moment? Was it a coincidence or did something I say lead him there? Or was he lured there because he knew too much?"

I wasn't sure if my mouth was moving at the same rate as my brain was, but judging from Tony's expression, the rapid questions were becoming alarming.

"These are called conspiracy theories and have been known to be bad for your health," he commented.

"Tony, I'm serious," I responded, tossing him an irritated look. "We may never know what Happy knows now."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if the Mandarin comes knocking on our door, we might," he replied, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Right," I said, getting to my feet and clapping my hands together. "Our time is limited."

Pausing for a moment, I shoved some magazines off of the coffee table, turning on the digital files I stored underneath a second later. "JARVIS, what do you have for me?" I questioned the A.I.

"You pulled JARVIS into this?" Tony asked, his suspicion rising when holographic models started to appear in front of us.

If JARVIS was a person, he definitely would be rolling his eyes at this moment. Still, I smirked in Tony's direction on his behalf.

"Technically, sir," JARVIS responded as sarcastic as ever. "I've always been in this." He paused, allowing me to chuckle under my breath. "Ms. Maitland, I've compiled a Mandarin database for you drawn from SHIELD, FBI, and CIA intercepts. Initiating virtual crime scene reconstruction."

If Tony wanted to protest, he didn't get the chance. A second later, a virtual map of the United States appeared before my eyes, certain states and cities glowing bright red. I figured those were the spots of the known Mandarin attacks, but whether that actually helped or not was a different story.

Frowning, I took a few steps closer to the virtual map, analyzing the way it was laid out, before I realized that Tony wasn't behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow towards his shocked expression.

"Are you going to help me or just stand there?" I questioned, echoing my smirk from earlier.

"It seems like you don't need my help," he observed, but I knew there was no possibility that Tony wasn't going to get involved. We were wired the same way.

I shrugged my shoulders, turning back to the model at hand. "You're right," I said. "I just enjoy your company."

"So, what do we have here?" I heard Tony's response from behind me before he moved to the other side of the room to gain an additional perspective on the map. At this point, I was going to take every single possibility I could.

Quickly smiling in Tony's direction, I felt a small sense of relief that I didn't have to do this alone. As much as I felt more at ease in this universe, I owed it all to him. If I had a choice, I would make every single decision for the rest of my life with him.

"The Mandarin's name is an ancient Chinese war mantle," I explained, going through the research I did already. "It means advisor to the King. He has South American insurgency tactics, not to mention he talks like a Baptist preacher. It's a lot of pageantries here-"

"Lots of theater," Tony interrupted, placing a finger over his lips in thought. "Close this all down."

I frowned slightly, tilting my head to one side. He was onto something.

"What is it?" I tried to ask, but I knew I wasn't about to get a straight answer.

"Tell me about the bomb, JARVIS," Tony announced.

The A.I. spoke almost immediately. "The heat from the blast was in excess of 3000 degrees Celsius," he droned on. "Any subjects within 12.5 yards were immediately vaporized. No bomb parts were found in a 3-mile radius of the Chinese Theater."

Tony shook his head again, his forehead crinkling. "When is a bomb not a bomb?" he questioned aloud, thinking back to what Rhodey said to us.

"That's what I was saying before," I put in. "Unless it's all just-"

He caught onto the exact word I was about to say, our minds working in sync as we spoke at the same time. "Theater."

Another second passed, causing us to snap our heads up and look at each other. This was the biggest breakthrough I had since starting this.

"He's covering something up here and blaming it on a bomb," I said, glancing to the side at the reconstruction of the Chinese Theater explosion.

I avoided looking at this model for a few hours, afraid to break down again if I saw Happy's body lying on the ground. While I still winced eyeballing it, something else caught my eye.

"What's that?" I asked, noticing how Happy's finger was extended to an object landing a few feet away from his body.

Tony sauntered over to the object, picking up the holographic form of a pair of dog tags. I raised an eyebrow in his direction regardless. That didn't fit in.

"Any military victims?" he asked JARVIS.

"Not according to public record, sir."

Biting his lip, Tony set down the pair of dog tags, turning back to the original holographic map. "Bring up the thermogenic signatures again, factor in three thousand degrees," he demanded. I was completely lost now.

"The oracle cloud has completed analysis," JARVIS observed. "Accessing satellites and plotting the last 12 months of thermogenic occurrence now."

Tony quickly scanned the results that popped up, shaking his head. "Take away everywhere that there's been a Mandarin attack," he added after a second.

"What are you looking for?" I finally dared to ask, not understanding a word of his scientific observations. After doing a scan of the map myself, I still had no idea what he was going for. This was way beyond my pay grade.

"I'll let you know when I find it," Tony murmured, his eyes darting around the map until he pointed to a single glowing dot. "There."

I lowered my head to squint at the name of the city. "Rose Hill, Tennessee?" I inquired.

"You sure that's not one of this?" Tony asked, verifying his theory.

"It predates any known Mandarin attack," JARVIS replied. "The incident was the use of a bomb to assist a suicide. I must say, the heat signature is wildly similar. Three thousand degrees Celsius."

Tony pointed to the records that JARVIS was now accessing about the incident. "The victims were two military guys," he said before turning back to face me. "Have you ever been to Tennessee?"

"Can't say that I have," I answered honestly, shrugging my shoulders.

While I wasn't keen on leaving behind my responsibilities, the Mandarin needed to be stopped at all costs. If there was a clue to that in Tennessee, I needed to take it.

"JARVIS?" Tony called out once again.

"Creating a flight plan for Tennessee."

I heaved a quick sigh before moving to the other side of the table to Tony's side. He nodded in my direction with a gentle smile.

"Time to suit up," he said matter-of-factly.

I had to admit, a chill went down my spine at his words. This wasn't like our usual missions. This time, we were going on our own against all protocol.

Glancing up at him through my eyelids, I knew I made the right decision by bringing him into this as much as I hated to admit it.

"Would you have figured this out on your own?" he questioned aloud, practically reading the expression on my face.

I smirked regardless. "Maybe."

"I doubt it," he answered, kissing my cheek quickly. "Suit up."

Unfortunately, we didn't get far.

The doorbell to the front door rang, echoing throughout the different rooms in the house. I shot a peek in his direction, matching his confused expression with my own. Neither of us was expecting guests according to both of our looks, well except for the Mandarin himself.

"Are we still at ding dong?" Tony announced, throwing his hands up in the air. "We're supposed to be on total security lockdown. Come on JARVIS, Em threatened a terrorist."

"There's only so much I can do when you give the world our address," JARVIS responded in his favorite sarcastic tone.

I only smiled at the two replies I received to my clear outburst. If JARVIS was angrier at me than Tony was, I considered that a win too.

"I'll get it," I offered, shaking my head.

On my way to the foyer of the house, I ducked into the laboratory, grabbing my gun from its holder and tucking it into the pocket of my pants. Tony, who followed me in the room, shot me a concerned look. All I could do was sheepishly shrug my shoulders.

"For safety, right?" I asked with a tiny grin.

By the time I made it to the front door, however, I realized I hadn't needed the gun at all. Sighing, I swung open the door, not even bothering to punch in the code. This woman already knew all of our codes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

Pepper pushed past me, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't about to just let her in, before she turned around, tilting her head to one side. "Are you out of your mind?" she snapped.

"Quite possibly," I said with a shrug of my shoulders. "What are you doing here, Pep?"

"You didn't show up to work for the past two days," she responded as if the answer was clear.

I raised an eyebrow, untucking my gun from my pocket and putting it on the nearby table. If Pepper wanted to comment on that display, I wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

"Yeah, because I threatened a terrorist," I pointed out. "I kind of figured that took precedent."

Pepper's gaze shifted past mine, and I spun around to face Tony who just appeared around the corner with a stupid grin on his face.

"You're not the Mandarin," he observed.

Pepper rolled her eyes in his direction. "Obviously not," she replied. "You both have a death wish. Why haven't you started packing your bags?"

"I'm done running," I responded, shaking my head. "I hope the Mandarin comes here. I want to kill him face to face."

"Oh, now you're killing people?" she questioned, her eyebrows skyrocketing to the top of her forehead.

Like usual, Pepper only heard one part of the conversation. I was thankful that Tony was there to save me from berating my new boss.

"We were just heading to Tennessee actually," he cut in, shooting me a warning glare. I pretended not to see it.

"I don't think either of you will last the week," Pepper commented.

I made a face towards her almost instantly. It was like it was ingrained in my blood. "We'll be fine," I said quickly.

"I'm sorry," Pepper snapped. "With Happy in the hospital, I didn't know you were committing suicide missions too."

"We're not," I clarified.

Tony snorted from where he was standing behind me. "Well she is, I'm not," he refined my statement.

I changed my glare to face him before glancing over my shoulder to where Pepper was still standing in complete disarray. "You saved yourself a world on pain, Pepper," I responded sarcastically.

"I'm sure."

She wasn't even in the mood to entertain my quips, which meant that this situation was more serious than I feared. For the first time, I wondered why she actually came to the house. Tony, however, wouldn't give me a moment alone to my thoughts.

"This one's on you!" he exclaimed, holding his hands in the air.

I rolled my eyes, moving past the pair of them towards where JARVIS was preparing our suits. "Aren't we leaving, honey?" I asked, my voice dripping with venom.

"You confuse me," Tony murmured, disbelief shining on his features.

"Believe it or not, this is not how normal people behave," I pointed out.

Pepper's eyeballs darted back and forth between us like a soccer match, her annoyance growing by the second.

"Well, we're not normal people, are we?" Tony cried, gesturing to the room around us.

Pepper, however, finally noticed the giant bunny in the room. Tony managed to fit it through the garage where it now sat poised in our living room earlier this morning, but judging from Pepper's expression, he probably should have left it outside.

"I am normal," she said, her mouth falling open slightly as she gestured to the rabbit. "Is that-"

Tony wouldn't even let her finish. "See!" he shouted. "That's perfectly normal!"

If the situation wasn't so tense, I would have burst out laughing at Pepper's pursed lips and tilted head towards Tony. It seemed I wasn't the only one concerned about his mental stability at the moment.

"You can tell I'm Tony's first real girlfriend, right?" I tried to joke to lighten the mood.

It didn't work.

"It's just a giant bunny!" Tony exclaimed, his irritation rising right along with Pepper's exasperation.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Relax, Tone."

"I got this for you," he argued.

"I'm aware of that."

"You still haven't even told me that you like it."

I was avoiding that topic for a rainy day. I tried to catch Pepper's eye to save me, but she was completely ignoring us at this point.

"Do I have to?" I questioned, rolling my eyes.

Tony glanced over at where Pepper was standing facing the television screen in the room. He made a face towards her ignorance before he raised an eyebrow back in my direction.

"Do you want me to leave without you?" he teased, changing the subject.

I smirked back at him. "You wouldn't last a day without me," I uttered, speaking the truth.

"Uh, guys."

We both turned to face Pepper, who finally spoke towards us again, at the same time that she spun around to face us. I opened my mouth to shoot some snarky retort towards her, but the fear that was currently laced in her eyes stopped me in my tracks.

"We really need to be going," she added, moving to the side to point at what was being aired on the television screen.

Tony took a step towards the screen, his eyes widening as he caught the same glimpse as Pepper did. I, however, noticed something else entirely.

I saw the helicopter first from outside the windows of the room. It was only a split second later that I saw the missiles being fired from the helicopter, heading straight for us.

"Oh shit."

Those were the only words I was able to get out before the entire house exploded.

* * *

**A/N: **Ok, I'm still hung up on Endgame so you get a surprise Monday chapter. I'm emotional. See you Wednesday.

Spotify Inspiration: Doom Days - Bastille

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	12. Chapter 12

**EMERALD**

I didn't even feel the explosion rack through the different steel barriers of the building or the exact moment that I found myself airborne. Whether I blacked out for a split second or it all happened in a blur, I would never know.

Regret was the only emotion I felt at that moment. I was furious that the Mandarin didn't have the guts to show up and fight me himself. Instead, he proved he was a coward by taking me out before we even had the opportunity to meet face to face. I was enraged by the fact that Tony and Pepper were both here, caught in the crossfire. I had no time to feel panicked.

Mostly, however, I was enraged by the fact that an Iron suit that was most definitely not mine was currently being molded around my body. As soon as the faceplate clicked down, signaling the suit's online activity, I knew it was Tony's latest model of the suit that he built to be summoned upon command.

"What the hell?" I shouted, coughing as the ceiling started caving in around us.

Turning my head to the side, I frantically tried to see anything around me that wasn't completely annihilated from the initial blasts. JARVIS did a quick scan of the room surrounding me, allowing me to breathe out a sigh of relief when he confirmed there were two other life forms with me. Tony and Pepper were alive, for now.

Pepper was lying unconscious underneath the stairs, which seemed to be one of the safe zones for the time being. What I couldn't find, however, was Tony's location.

"Tony!" I shouted desperately, waiting to hear a groan or anything to signal where he could be.

I spotted him almost two seconds later under a piece of concrete from the ceiling. He was struggling to get his leg out before the rest of the ceiling collapsed on top of him. From the rate the house was cracking, he was definitely about to lose this fight.

In a split second, I flew over to his side, stopping the ceiling from completely crushing him. The weight of the stones almost crushed my back, but thanks to Tony's suit, I barely felt a thing. Still, the man in question gave me an incredulous look as I flipped up the lid of the mask.

"I got you," I said softly, relishing in the fact that currently we were both not dead.

A tiny smile appeared across Tony's face for a moment, catching my eyes in relief. "I got you first," he commented back.

I stood over him for several more seconds, trying to slow my breaths down instead of the shallow gasps that were currently coming out of my throat. "Why am I in your suit?" I finally questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Because mine is the only one that can be called on demand!"

"Don't you think that's a feature I should probably have too?" I followed up my question with another question, not enjoying the answer I received.

Tony made a face, finally freeing himself from the confinements of the rubble. "I was working on it!" he defended himself.

After glancing around the room for a few more seconds, watching the room slowly crumble to the ground around us, guilt started to creep its way into my heart. If I hadn't threatened the Mandarin on live television, he wouldn't have attacked like this. Sure, the battle was inevitable at this point, but maybe I would have had a home at the end of this still.

"This is all my fault," I voiced aloud, holding out a hand for Tony to take.

He accepted it without question, causing me to yank him to his feet. "Now is hardly the time for this," he replied, glancing out the window nervously. That was definitely not the last of them. "We have to go now!"

Practically shoving me to the side, we ducked together under the bar positioned in the far corner of the room. We waited until the helicopters stopped shooting at the building, listening for the silence in the room. When it finally quieted down, Tony dared to peek around the side of the bar.

"It's time to move," he said, his eyes frantically looking around the room. "They're gone for now, but this building is about to collapse on all of us."

I hated to admit it, but the panic laced in his tone of voice sent fear racing through my chest. Tony sensed it too, for he grabbed my arm and forced me to look into his eyes.

"I'll be right behind you," he promised, nodding in my direction.

I nodded back, but my mind was constantly going a million miles a minute. I couldn't think or breathe as I felt the walls literally decomposing around us. Yet, I was the one protected in the suit, and Tony was the one who was trying to stay calm.

"Take your suit back!" I said as I got to my feet, turning around to look at him still crouched behind the bar.

He stubbornly continued to shake his head. "Will you just go?" he shouted in my direction.

Taking a few steps back, I looked over my shoulder in an attempt to locate where Pepper was in the room. If we had any shot of making it out of this building without the entire thing collapsing on us, we had to stick together.

My idea immediately went out of the window when I turned back to Tony and found a large gap separating us. In the time that it took for me to look over my shoulder, the floor cracked like an earthquake.

"Get Pepper out of here," Tony said, assessing the situation. "I'm going to find a way around."

I knew I should have stuck by his side.

"Tony," I replied cautiously, my chest constricting in on itself. My feet no longer wanted to move a step further away from him.

"Stop stopping!" he exclaimed. "Get her and get outside now!"

I bit my lip, trying to hide the anxiety that threatened to consume me. "I'm not going to lose you again," I said, my voice betraying my emotions.

"We're both going to be lost if you don't move."

I managed to stand there for a second longer, staring in Tony's direction with tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, before I flipped down the lid of the face mask and headed in Pepper's direction. I couldn't stand to even look back in his direction. He had to find a way out.

When I reached Pepper, I bent down to her level, shaking her shoulder lightly to bring her back to the land of consciousness. She coughed a few times, propping herself up on one elbow.

"What the-" she started to say, but I shook my head.

"Come on Peps, we have to move," I said, helping her up to her feet.

She looked surprised to be hearing my voice come out of Tony's suit, but at this point, nothing surprised us anymore. With one hand still covering her mouth, she glanced over my shoulder, squinting into the rubble-covered room.

"Where's Tony?" she questioned, her voice weakening by the second.

I felt that in the bottom of my soul.

"He's right behind us," I lied, shoving Pepper towards what was left of the front door. "Let's move."

By the time we finally made it out, I practically collapsed on the sidewalk with Pepper in my arms. I hadn't taken into account the extra weight Tony's suit held before sprinting towards the outside of the house. If the sight wasn't so horrifying, it would almost be poetic.

"What do we do now?" Pepper asked, coughing in between words as she sat down on the curb.

I opened my mouth to respond, but a split second later, I felt a slight tug of my body back towards the house. I thought it was internal at first, but when I saw the pieces of the suit flying off my body and back towards the house, I knew Tony called the suit back to him.

Whether it made it to him or not, I wasn't sure. The only thing I saw from my line of sight was the house crumbling off the side of the cliff and down into the ocean below us.

My heart sunk at the same speed as the house, and I froze, staring at the wreck happening before my eyes. "Oh my god," I breathed out, my muscles shaking involuntarily.

When I didn't see or hear the familiar whoosh of the Iron Man suit flying into the sky, the worst-case scenario flooded my head. As if jolted with electricity, I took off running towards the side of the cliff. I only got a few strides before I felt Pepper's arms lock around my waist.

"You can't," she cried, fighting my flailing limbs. "We barely got out."

"I'm not leaving him!" I snapped, shooting her a glare over my shoulder.

She gave me a knowing look, her eyes full of the same sadness I felt. "I don't want to leave him either," she promised. "But there's nothing left for us to do."

I didn't believe that for a second.

Finally shaking her loose, I darted toward the edge of the cliff, peering desperately in the waters below me. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to find there except wreckage bobbing amongst the waves. A part of me wanted to jump in, searching for Tony myself, but I knew I would only kill myself in the process. That wouldn't help anyone.

"Tony!" I screamed into the open air, praying for a miracle.

After a few minutes, I heard Pepper approaching from behind warily. She was afraid I was really going to jump in.

"Emerald," she said softly. "We have to get somewhere safe."

I stared numbly at the tide rolling in and out off of the cliff, bringing with it more and more rubble. If only I had my suit. If only I hadn't tempted the Mandarin. Every single part of this was my fault.

It was around that moment that I heard the sirens slowly approaching from the distance. A sigh escaped from my lips as I forced myself away from the edge of the mountain. There was no stopping whatever came next.

"It's too late for that," was all I said before I dully sauntered over to the sidewalk and collapsed.

The last time I felt this disorientated was when Valencia held a gun to my head and told me that I meant nothing to her. Now, I had no idea if I was ever going to get the chance to tell the person that I loved most that I was sorry.

There were a few paramedics that came up, dabbing at the cuts on my forehead and taking my blood pressure, but I barely noticed. I felt like I was sitting there staring at nothing for days, but judging from the way that Pepper was still pacing in her heels, it only was a couple of hours.

"Ms. Maitland."

I heard my name being called by one of the EMTs on the scene, but my head felt so heavy that I couldn't find it in myself to respond. I felt so bogged down that I couldn't even acknowledge that I heard something. He sounded miles away.

"Ms. Maitland."

He got more persistent, stepping closer to my side and resting a hand on my arm. It felt foreign. Still, I found it in my body to lift my head towards him, responding non-verbally.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" he questioned.

I knew he was only doing his job, but his line of inquiries made me physically sick to my stomach. Not only did I lose Tony, I also lost my entire home that I built over these past six months.

"I'll figure it out," I croaked out, hating the way my voice sounded.

"We haven't found a body."

If he was trying to be helpful, he was epically failing.

"Yet," I clarified, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes for the first time. I felt so empty on the inside that I didn't have enough energy to even allow myself to cry

The EMT still remained at my side, much to my dismay. "Our deep divers have been at it for hours," he said. "If they haven't found him by now, it's likely he made it out."

"I don't think you're helping."

The new voice caused me to lower my face back towards the ground, my hands trembling. The shock was starting to fade, leaving only sadness and anger behind. Pepper seemed to see the change in me, butting into our conversation at the last possible minute.

"I've got her," Pepper continued, gesturing for the EMT to leave us alone. "She's in shock, she's lost the person she loves, and you're here telling her he may or may not be dead. Please just get back to doing your actual job."

Barely a second passed before he scrambled away from our sides. As soon as he left, it felt like I could breathe again, and I hated to think that Pepper knew my emotional status like that.

"I didn't ask for that," I commented, not lifting my head back up.

"You didn't have to."

I wasn't sure how much time passed before Pepper heaved a sigh, resigning and sitting beside me. She didn't move to touch me in any way, and I hated the way that I enjoyed her company. As much as I felt alone, knowing that someone else was going through the same thing was slightly helpful.

"I have a lot of apologies to make," I finally said, glancing towards her. "To you especially. I never wanted you involved in all of this. I'm sorry you had to be here when it happened."

Pepper gave me a sympathetic look, her pity shining in her pupils. "Emerald," she whispered, but I shook my head. I didn't want her pity.

"This is a rare moment here, don't cut me off," I interrupted, attempting a small sense of humor in this dark scenario. "A part of me knows that he's still out here, and I know you must feel it because a part of you still cares for him too."

I heard her sigh softly before responding. "No, not anymore," she answered.

"I'm being honest, Pepper-" I complained, but it was she who cut me off this time.

"So am I," she added. "I may not like you all of the time, but you're good for Tony… way better than I'd ever be. You understand him because you live the same life. I've never seen two people so perfectly matched with each other, and for that reason, I know he's out there looking for a way to get back to you."

I stared in Pepper's directions for several moments before shaking my head in disbelief. For once, I believed her. "That-that means a lot, Pepper," I said with a tiny nod.

"Come on," she responded, getting to her feet and dusting off her skirt. "Let's get out of here before the Mandarin realizes you're not dead and comes back for round two."

She did have a point.

I followed her lead, shoving myself up from my perch on the sidewalk, only wobbling slightly. I took one last glance back at the pile of objects being pulled from the ocean in a desperate attempt to find something before we left.

It was then that I spotted a blinking red light from one of the remnants of a broken helmet.

"Hold on," I shouted over my shoulder to Pepper before I jogged over, snagging it from the pile and placing it over my head without question.

I knew what that light signaled, and it was a clear alert.

"Welcome back, Ms. Maitland," came JARVIS's recorded voice a moment later. "You have one new message."

I almost burst into tears as Tony's voice echoed around the sound system. "Em, it's me," his message stated. "If you're getting this, I'm alive. I never wanted us to get separated, but right now, I need you to take care of Pepper. We roped her into this mess, and I know you can not only take care of yourself but other people too. I'm in Tennessee right now, but I'm working my way back to you as soon as I can. I'm going to figure this out. I love you."

The helmet felt like it was suffocating me, and I wrenched it off a moment later, dropping it on the ground. The tears were flowing down my cheeks now as relief washed through my nervous system. He was alive.

"Emerald!" Pepper shouted, noticing the waterworks from a mile away. "What is it?"

I glanced up with tear-stained cheeks, shaking my head in liberation.

"We have to go to Tennessee."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry, I'm actually trash at updating. It was my last week of school ever, and I had ten million assignments that needed to get done. Sorry hunny bunnies! I'll give some extra updates this week for sure.


	13. Chapter 13

**EMERALD**

I kept replaying Tony's message to me over and over again in my head. He was alive and still hellbent on figuring this Mandarin thing out. That alone gave me more energy than I had in the past few hours.

Biting my lip, I stared out the window of Pepper's car, relishing in the quiet that settled between us. She was driving in complete peace, focusing on what was ahead of her. I, on the other hand, wanted to be across the country immediately. If only my suit hadn't been completely destroyed, I would be there right now with Tony.

"So, tell me," Pepper said, breaking the silence as she continued to drive down the empty road. "Why exactly is Tony in Tennessee right now?"

I sighed, turning my head to face her. She did deserve some answers. "We're investigating a lead into the Mandarin," I said matter-of-factly.

"Well, right now, he thinks you're dead."

I raised an eyebrow in response. "How long do you think that's going to last?" I questioned.

I wasn't wrong. It was only a matter of time before the Mandarin figured out that we all survived the attack on the house. We were officially working on the clock.

"Not long," Pepper answered, agreeing with my statement.

Silence returned between us as we continued to let our brains wander to the next steps of the evening. There was one thing that was still bothering me, however, and I knew it wouldn't be resolved unless I asked the hard truth.

"Pepper, why did you come to the house tonight?" I asked, tilting my head to one side. "I know it wasn't just to yell at me for missing work."

She didn't answer for a long time, which only increased my suspicions that she was keeping something from me. I wasn't sure exactly what she was working so hard to pretend, but this attack changed her. I just couldn't tell what it changed her to become.

"It doesn't matter anymore," she responded. "Let's just get to Tennessee as fast as possible. If we even have a shot at stopping-"

"Wait," I interrupted her, giving her an incredulous look. "We?"

She flashed me a smile so small that I thought I was seeing things. "Yes, we," she repeated. "The Mandarin almost killed me too. I have unfinished business."

"Get in line," I teased, shaking my head, before I noticed the tired expression on both of our faces. "I'm not letting us drive far in this condition. Do you know of a hotel nearby?"

"Come on, Em, it's like you don't even know me."

For the first time, I felt that I could trust Pepper. To be fair, I didn't really have much of a choice. Tony told me to protect her, but I was doing something far greater. I was allowing her to protect me.

The hotel we checked ourselves into wasn't exactly the standards that we became accustomed to, but it was better than falling asleep at the wheel. I immediately collapsed on the bed of our room, staring at the ceiling. A part of me wanted to scream, but the stronger part of me knew a plan was necessary to continue this.

Pepper locked herself in the bathroom, presumably to pull herself together. I didn't blame her. She wasn't used to this kind of lifestyle, at least not to this extreme. While I didn't like it, this was the job, and the job wasn't done yet.

I forced myself to sit up, flicking on the television screen. If there was going to be a sign of anything, it would be on the news.

I lost track of time until Pepper emerged from the bathroom, her face damp. "You know," she pointed out, seeing my dejected face. "Staring at the news isn't going to make what you want to hear appear."

"I can certainly try," was all I said.

After a few more minutes, I sighed, getting to my feet and heading into the bathroom. The dirt was starting to crush on my skin, and I was finally starting to feel the large gash on the back of my neck and the cuts on my forearms. I winced slightly as I reached for the washcloth, relishing in the hot water running over my hands. For once, the pain felt good. It kept me alive, it kept me awake, it kept me stronger.

I barely got the gashes cleaned before I heard Pepper's strangled cry of my name from the other room. Dropping the washcloth in the sink, I ran back in the other room, expecting to see the worst on the screen. My heart sunk in my chest in the five seconds it took for me to get back into the main bedroom.

For once, I felt relieved to see the Mandarin appear on the screen. I hated how that felt in the pit of my stomach.

"Mr. President," the Mandarin was saying. "Only two lessons remain, and I intend to finish this before Christmas morning."

The camera panned down to show a man lying on the ground, and I folded my arms across my chest, not enjoying where this was presumably heading.

"Meet Thomas Richards. Good strong name, good strong job. Thomas here is an accountant for Roxxon Oil Corporation, but I'm sure he's a really good guy." The Mandarin paused, allowing a smirk to pass across his face. "I'm going to shoot him in the head live on television in 30 seconds."

"Oh my god," Pepper exclaimed, turning away from the screen.

I clenched my jaw, noticing how my body tensed involuntarily. "I'm going to kill this bastard," I promised.

"I already killed the two ironclad heroes you love so much," the Mandarin continued. "Who is this man to you, really, Mr. President? The number to my telephone is in your cell phone. Exciting, isn't it, imagining how it got there? America, if your President calls me in the next half-minute, Tom lives." He paused again. "Go."

Pepper gave me a terrified look as if she was imagining Tony and me facing this terrorist alone. I shook my head, my breathing labored as time ticked by.

"He won't do it," I commented, watching the man's face drain of all color.

"President Ellis won't let an innocent man die," Pepper argued.

I bit my lip again. "America doesn't negotiate with terrorists, and neither do we," I said.

"The world thinks you're dead," she observed, gesturing to the Mandarin's proclamation from the screen.

"Won't they be in for a surprise?"

In the moment of it all, I never found out if the President called the Mandarin or not. A gunshot erupted from the speakers of the television screen, causing me to jump where I stood. Pepper gasped in surprise from beside me, and my hands flew to my mouth as the life bled out of Thomas on live television.

"There's only one lesson left, President Ellis," the Mandarin concluded, the sick smile still plastered on his face. "So, run away, hide, kiss your children goodbye because nothing, not your army or your red, white and blue attack dog, can save you. I'll see you soon."

The screen went black a moment later.

"Shit," I swore, running my hands through my hair. "Shit, shit, shit."

Pepper's breathes were coming in short gasps, and I knew she was trying her hardest not to have a panic attack right here and now. I had to pull myself together before I followed in her footsteps.

"He's going to kill the President, Emerald," she finally said, her voice cracking.

"I'm aware!" I snapped, pacing the edges of the room. I never felt more impatient to get moving in my entire life.

Pepper shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "I mean, this changes things."

I continued to walk the length of the bedroom for a few more seconds, hating the way the blood was boiling in my body. I needed to think, not have an anxiety attack.

"I have to call Rhodey," I finally announced, grabbing my cell phone from where I tossed it on the bed.

The reaction Pepper gave me was one of complete and utter disbelief. "I highly advise against that," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't care anymore," I retorted, already finding Rhodey's number in my contacts. "He has to know that I'm alive." A second later, I heard him pick up the phone. "Rhodey," I stated, my voice dry.

He definitely was as agitated as I was. "You're alive," he responded. Still, I heard the relief in the tone of his voice.

"For now," I added, loathing the pessimistic comments that were emerging from my mouth.

"Where are you guys?" he asked, getting straight to the facts.

"I'm not with Tony," I said. "I have no idea where he is, somewhere in Tennessee maybe, but I'm trusting you to find him."

There was a slight pause in which I was sure he knew how emotional I felt. "Are you alright?" he finally questioned.

"As alright as I can be for just having my house blown up," I stated, laughing weakly. Leave it to me to make a joke out of this.

Rhodey sighed on the other end of the line. "You know what I mean."

"I can't tell you much, Rhodey," I commented, suspicious of who might be tracking the calls already. "I just know that some bad shit is going to happen next. If the Mandarin mentioned you on TV, it can't be good."

"The President just ordered me to strike," he murmured, his tone growing quieter by the second. He was worried. To be honest, we all were.

"That's suicide-" I tried to say, but Rhodey wasn't in the mood to argue.

"He's the President, Em, and we all know that the Mandarin is unpredictable. He won't say what he's going to do next."

Biting the inside of my cheek, I didn't know what to say. Everyone that I knew was in danger from this man, and I wasn't sure how I could fix it. I wanted to scream.

"Please be careful," I whispered. "Find Tony. Help him because Lord knows I can't. Be careful, Rhodey."

As I pressed the end button on the call, I let out a long exhale, tossing my phone across the room again. This was the end of the line. From here on out, we were on our own.

"See?" I cried in Pepper's direction. "Less than two minutes. Even the most experienced hackers need that amount of time to track a call."

She shook her head, the disapproving look growing by the minute. "It was still reckless," she commented.

"Pepper, I'm going to take care of you," I pledged, taking her hand. "Whatever it takes."

I squeezed it gently before moving away from her. She sighed, so soft that I barely heard it, and sat down on the adjacent bed in the room.

"That's not exactly what I'm worried about."

I felt the same sense of dread as I did before I discovered Tony was alive. I thought the worst was over, but I was wrong. The worst was just beginning.


	14. Chapter 14

**EMERALD**

The sunshine beaming in the window stirred me awake far before any noise erupted in the room. My eyes winced at the bright light, fluttering open and shut a few times before they adjusted to the shock. Still, I groaned at the intrusion.

Yawning, I stretched out slightly, shocking myself when I hit another pair of limbs under the covers. Rolling over, my eyes softened as they landed on Tony's, already awake and staring at me. Normally, by this time, he was up and in his workshop already. I only hoped I hadn't woken up at the crack of dawn. Yet, when I lifted my arm up to my face to check the time, it still read nine o'clock.

"Hey," I murmured sleepily, my eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the room.

Tony smiled down at me, tucking a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. "Good morning," he whispered back, looking perfectly content.

That surprised me too.

"Were you staring at me while I was sleeping?" I questioned, half-jokingly. "Because that would be borderline pedophiliac territory."

He laughed softly. "What would you do if I said yes?" he responded in the same teasing manner that I was.

I glanced upwards, placing a hand on his cheek. He normally wasn't this emotional so early in the morning, and while I wasn't complaining, I was instantly suspicious. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop any minute.

"Can you promise me something?" I asked, brushing the terrible feelings off of my shoulders. Allowing myself to be happy was definitely something I needed to work on.

"Of course," Tony answered almost instantaneously.

I sighed, unsure of how to word my question. "Just don't ever leave me," was all I said, unable to come up with what I really wanted to say.

"You are the one person that I can't live without," he said. "I promise you that."

I allowed a small smile to creep up over my lips, despite the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was everything I could have ever asked for. No one ever looked at me the way that Tony did before. It was an adjustment, but one that I was willing to make.

"I never thought you were the sentimental type," I replied.

"Just for you."

I shook my head, still in disbelief. "Just don't get all soft and sappy on me," I teased. "I still need my Tony Stark back."

Instead of laughing as I suspected he would, his face grew more serious the longer he stared at me. Immediately, I thought that this was it, the other shoe about to drop, but it never came.

"Em," he stated, the somber tone freaking me out.

I tilted my head to one side. "Yeah?"

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Okay, I definitely wasn't expecting that to come out of his mouth.

"You what?" I practically spluttered. If I wasn't awake before, I certainly was now.

"I want to spend the rest of our lives together," he repeated. "I want to have the life we always talked about. Kids, pets, all of it. I want us to be happy for once."

I stared at him in shock for several seconds, waiting for him to break into a teasing grin. It never came. He was dead serious.

Propping myself up on my elbows, I leaned in close to Tony and pressed my lips to his deeply. I had no words to express what I was feeling. This was the best I could do. I felt his arms wrap around me to intensify the kiss for a moment before I felt absolutely nothing.

I pulled away for a second, noticing that Tony wasn't short of breath but rather not breathing at all. Panicking, I kissed him softly again, trying to reverse whatever just occurred. It didn't work.

"Tony?" I cried desperately, shaking his shoulder. "Oh my god, Tony, please wake up."

"You killed him."

I practically jumped apart from Tony at the sound of another voice in the room, appearing from out of nowhere. Spinning around, I locked eye contact with Pepper's steely gaze, showing no emotion on her face. I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I barely had time to process everything that was happening at this moment.

"No, I swear, it wasn't me," I begged, hating the way my voice sounded when I was holding back sobs. "I don't-"

"Save it, Emerald," Pepper snapped. "You were the death of him as soon as you walked into his life."

I glanced back over my shoulder to where Tony was still lying on the bed, his chest showing no signs of respiratory activity. A small sob escaped my throat as I stared at him, letting Pepper's words soak through my system.

"Please," I whispered.

"She's not wrong, Emerald," came a new voice, and I turned back around to see Rhodey standing next to Pepper, his arms folded across his chest. "He finally cared about someone again, and that was the death of him."

I shook my head, refusing to believe anything they were saying. "Just save him, Rhodey," I begged. "Please."

"I can't," he said solemnly. "He's already gone."

Pepper nodded her approval of Rhodey's words. "You should be dead instead of him," she responded, and I knew there was truth behind each of their words.

This was all my fault.

Those were the words that were playing over and over again in my head when I finally woke myself up from the nightmare that plagued my thoughts.

I immediately glanced to the side, afraid to find Tony's body there. I let out a long exhale when I found nothing but rumpled blankets and pillows. The dream was so realistic that I still felt my breath catching in my throat every few seconds.

Blinking a few times in the darkness, I ran my fingers through my hair in a small attempt to calm myself down. I didn't have time for panic attacks. Tony was still missing, we were still on the run, and the Mandarin was still about to kill the President of the United States.

I didn't have time to consider that Tony and I might just have a future together in the long run.

A crack sounded from outside the hotel room, and I immediately felt my heart start to race again. I was being paranoid. That was what I kept telling myself until I heard the exact same noise again. I flipped on the light in the bedroom almost instantly, noticing for the first time that Pepper wasn't in the bed next to me.

"Pepper," I called out softly. There was no response.

I took a deep breath, grabbing my gun from where it was currently resting underneath my pillow. I really didn't have time for this.

"Pepper, if you're playing a prank on me, it's not funny," I tried again, raising my voice slightly. "I swear to God."

A second later, Pepper emerged from the bathroom, a confused expression crossing her face when she noticed I was holding a gun. Apparently, she hadn't heard the mysterious noises from outside or my frantic calls.

"Am I not allowed to relieve myself now?" she questioned, tilting her head to one side.

"Shit," I swore, setting the gun on the nightstand gently. I was definitely paranoid. "I thought…" I trailed off a second later, breathing out a long exhale. "I'm sorry. Things are really not well right now."

Pepper gave me a sympathetic glance. From my panicked facial expression, I guessed that she assumed I had a nightmare. "Breathe, Em," she said softly. "Everything's going to be just fine, even if they don't seem like it at first. I promise you."

"That's surprisingly optimistic," I said, shaking my head. "I just need to relax."

I tried my hardest to put happier thoughts in my head as I made my way into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. Things weren't great, yes, but I had Pepper and we had a plan. That counted for something.

"The Mandarin thinks I'm dead," I voiced my thoughts out loud, trying to calm my racing heartbeat. "Tony's alive, Rhodey's going to save the President, and we're going to be just fine."

Drying the water droplets from my skin, I let another long inhale and exhale pass through my body. "We're going to be just fine," I repeated, nodding towards myself in the mirror.

I stared at my feet as I made my way back into the bedroom, repeating my words over and over again in my head. This wasn't my fault, we were going to be fine. I definitely could not lose my mind now. Tony trusted me with Pepper, and I had a job to do.

It was the click that caused me to lift my head from the ground, seeing Pepper standing before me for the first time. She had my gun in her hands.

"I'm so sorry, Emerald," she whispered, her eyes full of true sadness.

At first, I thought she heard the same noise I had before, but that was before I realized she was pointing the gun directly at me.

"Pepper, what the hell?" I managed to say, shock washing over my system once more. "Put that down before you hurt yourself-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence.

A hand clapped over my mouth, stifling my cries in a split second. I struggled against the grasp of whoever was behind me, but I knew I wasn't going to last long. I smelled the chloroform on the cloth that was over my mouth the second it was placed there.

The last thought that passed through my mind before I fell unconscious was the cursing notion that I should have trusted my paranoia. I was always right.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Bottom of the River - Delta Rae

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	15. Chapter 15

**EMERALD**

When I finally woke up, I had no concept of time. I wasn't sure how much time I lost or where I even was. Knowing my luck, my kidnapper probably transported me to another country entirely. I definitely should have trusted my paranoia.

Groaning, I finally blinked my way out of the fog, trying to piece together the lost time. Before I managed to pry open my eyes, I felt the clamps around my wrists and ankles, holding me to the chair I was clearly propped in. That was not going to be helpful in my escape plan.

"Good, you're awake," came a voice from behind me.

It sent a chill through my spine almost immediately. I knew that voice.

I tried to wriggle my hands in the shackles in a last moment of desperation. There was no way I was going to subject myself to this any longer than necessary. Honestly, I laughed.

"Aldrich Killian," I said, unable to stop a chuckle from bubbling over my lips. "Just let me go before this turns ugly."

Aldrich stalked around so he was standing in front of me, smirking at my attempts to escape. We both knew it was futile. "No can do, Em," he said, tilting his head to one side.

I wanted to punch the smug look off of his face. He was not even close to deserving of that though. He was just another pissed off customer of Stark Industries.

"Is this really because you're so pissed off that I wouldn't accept your little Extremis experiment?" I questioned, making a face. "Because supervillain doesn't look so hot on you."

Aldrich had the audacity to laugh. "You really think I'm that petty?" he answered my question with another question. Typical.

"Then, why the hell am I strapped to a chair right now?" I said, keeping my cool as much as I could. "I have way bigger issues to deal with. I have to get to-"

"To Tennessee, right."

If I didn't have a bad taste in my mouth before, I definitely had one now. I couldn't help the look of shock that crossed my features. Perhaps I underestimated Aldrich's reach.

"I already sent a unit down to deal with your boyfriend," he added nonchalantly, causing me to blink twice. His tone was so casual, I didn't even know how to react properly.

"A unit?" I blurted out, unable to help myself. "Who are you?"

The smirk on his face only grew wider, much to my dismay. "Aldrich Killian," he stated. "Come on Emerald, that meeting was only a few days ago."

I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction.

"Where's Pepper?" I questioned, my gaze narrowing. I was going to kill her myself for getting me into this mess. We had bigger problems at hand.

"Right where she should be."

I rolled my eyes. "She's stupid to agree to whatever plan you convinced her of," I said.

Pepper was an idiot, and I should have seen it from the beginning. I cursed myself in my head for not putting the pieces together. In these past twenty-four hours, she was nicer to me than she ever expressed in the past. I chalked it up to the trauma we went through, but now, I knew the truth.

She was guilty of what she was about to do.

"I didn't have to convince her of much, actually," Aldrich stated. "It wasn't until she found out that the Mandarin was involved that we started having fallouts."

My heart skipped a beat at that moment, his words washing over me like a bad dream. A part of me wondered if I was still in that nightmare, but I knew better. There was no way my mind would make this up.

"What."

Aldrich had the audacity to laugh. "You're not this stupid, Emerald," he said. "Think about it."

Unfortunately, I already was. It all made sense now, causing me to rethink my mental stability from earlier. How didn't I make the simple connection? Most likely because I had no idea that corporate leaders were collaborating with terrorists. There was no such thing as coincidences.

"Oh my God," I whispered, my brain putting the puzzle together. "You sold Extremis to the Mandarin. The bombs that weren't bombs… they were humans."

I felt sick to my stomach.

"See, betrayal does hurt," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching up in a smile.

I shook my head, shoving down the nauseous feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. "You're a sick bastard," I swore. "I knew not to trust you."

"Quite possibly," he replied, resuming his stalking around the room. "Pepper here saw the potential in experimentation. Granted, I try to keep the gory human time-bomb details away from her, but that doesn't matter right now. She led me to you."

Narrowing my eyes, I tried to see what Pepper saw in this man, but my mind was drawing a blank. He was power hungry, and he trusted a terrorist with his plot.

"This whole thing," I observed. "It's a set up to kidnap me so you can get to Tony."

From what I recalled about Happy's remembrance of their initial meeting, I doubted Aldrich was the kind of person to let that go. I already sensed the hostility when we met at Stark Industries.

"Almost."

I tilted my head to one side, unable to move any other body part. "Almost?"

"Tell me something, Ms. Maitland," he said, changing the subject. "Humor me, if you want."

It wasn't like I had much of a choice. I wasn't going anywhere in a hurry.

"If you honestly think I'm going to tell you anything, you're crazier than I originally thought," I replied, raising an eyebrow.

I was determined not to let anything else shock me today.

"Where did you come from?" he asked simply.

Clearly, my determination failed. "I beg your pardon?" I said, blinking rapidly once again. Of all of the things he could ask, I was not expecting that.

"Where did you come from?" he repeated. "Because all of your records explain your pathway from New York to California and back again. Everything matches up quite nicely, but nothing ever works out that nicely. So, tell me, why did someone try very hard to make you exist before last year?"

Despite my heart pounding in my ears, I kept my calm.

"You're just talking insane now," I said. "A person can't not exist."

Aldrich was relentless, despite my best intentions. "Are you an alien?" he questioned, watching my facial expression like a hawk. As good of an interrogation tactic that was, I already knew the ins and outs of training, thanks to Fury.

"Asgardian, perhaps?" he continued as I showed no sign of emotion. "Another realm entirely?"

I sighed, knowing the line of questions wouldn't end unless I said something. "I am not Asgardian, thank you," I stated after a moment's pause. "My friend Thor is, however, and if he had the decency to come down to Earth-"

Apparently, Aldrich wasn't in a joking mood.

"I'm something of a technical expert," he responded, changing the subject slightly.

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of where he was going with this. "Yeah, so am I," I retorted.

"Your records check out perfectly."

Now, he was repeating himself, meaning that he was running out of ways to trap me in my own circle. That, at least, was some good news.

"Yeah, they do," I said casually. "Because I'm a normal person. I had a childhood, I had a family, I have friends, just like you." I paused, allowing a tiny smirk to show up on my face. Two could play at the arrogant game. "Well, maybe not like you."

He didn't budge. "Shall we visit them?" he inquired as easy as if he asked me where we wanted to eat lunch.

"Are you threatening me?"

Aldrich chuckled, sensing the apprehension in my voice. "Not at all," he replied. "I'm trying to clear something up." He took a few steps closer to me before he knelt on the same eye level. "You see, I have a theory. I believe that you came from what we call an alternate universe."

I tried my hardest not to show any sort of emotion on my face, but I could still feel the blood draining from my skin. Paling at his words, I racked my brain for some quirky way to answer. Again, the question of how he figured this out and smarter scientists haven't was cause for higher suspicion. Right now, however, I needed to flush this theory down the drain.

"Excuse me?" I said, pretending to look confused.

"An alternate universe. The same world, just different people living in it."

I shook my head. "I think you've gone off the deep end," I deflected, but Aldrich caught on in less than a second.

"I'm onto something."

"Yeah, medication," I countered with a snort. "And if you're not taking any, news flash, you probably should."

He smirked slightly at my retort. "Oh, I know a lot more than you're giving me credit for, Emerald," he drawled, getting back to his feet. I made a face in response, wiggling my wrists once more in another desperate attempt to get out of this conversation.

"Well, that I don't doubt."

"Don't you want me to share my knowledge with you?" he asked again.

I rolled my eyes again. "Probably not, but when do I ever get what I want?" I answered honestly.

"Wouldn't you like to know how you came to this world?"

Aldrich's line of questioning was getting deeper by the second, and I was about to be in deep shit if I didn't figure something out and fast. If he knew the truth about Valencia, Pandora and I, who else knew?

"I came to this world same as everyone else… by birth," I snapped. "Unless your big reveal is that I'm a C-section baby."

"You make jokes, but you know I'm right," he said. "There was a movie theater, right? With you and your two friends? An argument, and then what? There are blackouts in your story."

Oh, boy.

"I worked for the Council," I droned, hating the way it sounded practiced now. "They wanted to get rid of me, so they set everything up."

Aldrich shook his head, not even listening to what I was saying. "You don't have to tell me the lies you tell everyone else," he responded, earning yet another eye roll from me.

"Then, why ask questions you already know the answers to?"

It wasn't exactly a confirmation but judging from the victorious smirk that appeared on Aldrich's face, it was as close as he was going to get. He was a mad scientist, for sure, but I couldn't even begin to think about how he was able to put the pieces together.

"I can send you back," he said nonchalantly.

I tilted my head to one side. "What are you talking about?" I questioned, afraid of what the answer might be.

"I've been studying this for a long time," he answered, "long before you came into the picture. But with you around, with your blood, I was finally able to create a passage between our two worlds, much like the one that brought you here."

I was absolutely screwed.

Aldrich knew the truth about us. He held all of the cards in this situation, and he knew exactly how to push my buttons. This was getting bleaker by the minute. Still, he was talking about sending me back to where the entire thing started.

"That's impossible."

"Is it?" he responded with another smirk.

He stepped over to the side of the wall with a small curtain draped across it, and I wanted to hit myself over the head for not noticing it sooner. After yanking the fabric to the ground, a tiny button revealed the bigger secret. As soon as Aldrich pressed the button, the wall physically opened to reveal a portal, exactly like the one we saw in the movie theater over a year ago.

My mouth dropped open at the possibility lying ahead of me. I had the ability to return home right now and pretend nothing ever happened.

"Don't you want to see what life is like without you?" he taunted, his eyes flickering back and forth between the portal and my reaction.

"No," I said, although my shaking voice betrayed my words. "I really don't."

As if on cue, the image in the portal shifted to reveal someone who looked exactly like me, going about her daily life on the streets of what looked like New York. If I didn't know any better, that woman in the portal could be me a few years ago.

"Is this in real time?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me. Aldrich nodded, piquing my interest even more. "But I'm here." I trailed off, unable to form words at this point.

"I thought as much," Aldrich commented a moment later. "By leaving your world and entering ours, you created a ripple in your universe, causing it to try and repair itself by creating another version of you as if nothing happened."

My brain hurt. From the way he was speaking, there were multiple universes out there with different versions of ourselves, but that was crazy. Wasn't it?

"What are you saying?" I tried my hardest to follow along.

"I'm saying you can go home and leave this nightmare behind," he suggested. "You can become yourself in your world again."

I shook my head. "That's the easy way out," I observed. He just wanted me to go away and end this misery. Little did he know that if I went away, Tony was only going to come in full strength.

Unfortunately, it felt as if Aldrich could read my mind.

"If the easy way out involves the Mandarin stopping his crusade, would you still take it?" he offered.

"I don't trust you," I immediately responded.

He laughed, getting a clear kick out of my annoyed expression. "You shouldn't."

"Then why would I accept?"

He tilted his head to one side, glancing back into the portal standing before us. "Because this exists now," he said. "I can bring you proof. I can bring your friends back to join you, bring Tony to your world. I can make your life complete."

I had to say, it sounded like the perfect solution.

"You can really make that happen?" I asked, my eyes fixated at the other version of me standing what felt like feet away.

"You're looking at it right now."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes for a moment as my brain considered the possibilities that now lay before me. I had a chance to get my life back and to still have Tony at my side. I had a chance to save everything. Valencia, Pandora and I could return to our lives like nothing ever happened here. It sounded almost too good to be true, if I wasn't currently staring at the possibility.

The moment of consideration didn't last longer than a few seconds, however.

"No."

Aldrich's face dropped as soon as the single word left my mouth. I shook my head, my thoughts clearing themselves almost instantly. He almost had me… almost.

"That's not my home," I continued, a small smile appearing on my face. "This is my home now, Tony is my home now, and he is here, looking for me. You won't follow through on your word because you're not a good person. You want me out of the picture because it's easier for you, not for me. I don't take the easy way out, Aldrich."

He heaved a large sigh, closing the portal a second later. No matter what he had in store for me now, it didn't matter. The smile remained on my face.

This was my home now, and there was no way I could ever go back, knowing everything I was giving up here.

"I was hoping we could do this together," he commented, sauntering back over to my side. "But it seems you only want to inflict more pain."

I was still smiling as he left me alone in the room, still tied to the chair. Aldrich could do his worst. I had a home.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, I'm so sorry for the week-long delay! This past weekend, I've had 3 college graduations of my own and celebrations galore. I am back for the summer before I start my full-time job in August! :) I hope to get you multiple updates soon to make up for this past week (I was a little busy tee hee). Hope you enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

**EMERALD**

Much to my dismay, I fell asleep in the damn chair.

As much training as I received at Fury's hands, they weren't exactly prepping me on the steps to take when someone gets kidnapped. I still wasn't sure how much time passed since my arrival wherever this was, but from the way my throat was drying up, I knew I was losing water and nutrients rapidly.

My current problem, however, was the hand on my shoulder, rapidly shaking me to the point of consciousness. That wasn't exactly on my plans for today.

"Emerald."

I groaned outwardly, recognizing the voice in a heartbeat. If I wasn't tied to a chair, she would be flat on her back knocked out.

"Emerald, wake up." Another pause, another shake of my shoulder. "Come on, Emerald. Stop pretending to be asleep to avoid me, for God's sake."

I peeked open one eye, one more groan escaping my lips. Pepper was standing over me, one hand on her hip with a disapproving glare in my direction. She was poking the beast, and she still had the audacity to do it.

"For the record, I was actually asleep," I snapped.

She took another step back, breathing out a small sigh of what seemed to be relief. I knew better, however.

"Thank God," she repeated, shaking her head. "I thought-"

"What? That I was dead?" I retorted. "Wouldn't that be easy for you."

Pepper gave me an odd expression, trying to read my irritated face. I still felt, and probably looked, like crap, and seeing her was not helping my situation. I just wanted to feel immune to this entire hostage crisis.

"You really think that's what I want?" she asked cautiously, tilting her head to one side.

I raised an eyebrow with a small shake of my head. "I can't believe this," I stated. "I can't believe you would go along with this after everything you and Tony went through. You told me that you were here for me, and then, you held a gun to my head."

"I tried to get you to see the light," she explained slowly. "I wanted you on my side, believe it or not."

I scoffed. "And what side is that, Pepper?" I bit back at her. "The side that allows terrorists to bomb the entire country?" She was playing the innocent card here, and I wasn't going to stand for that. "You're better than that. When Tony finds out that yet another person he trusts betrayed him, he won't recover, and you know that."

"He won't find out."

Her arrogance shocked me. Sure, the Pepper that I knew was ruthless, but it was all on behalf of what she thought was best for the company. In a twisted way, maybe she thought this was best.

"You really think I'm going to keep this from him?" I asked, a small smirk appearing at the corner of my lips.

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "I think you're not going to be seeing him for a while," she observed, confirming what I already knew. I was here for the long run.

"Aldrich told me himself," I said. "You set the whole thing up, and honestly, it's quite predictable. You kidnap the superhero's girlfriend to lure the superhero to do whatever it is that you and Aldrich want. It's typical, Pep, come on. Have you never watched any action film before?"

She let a small chuckle escape from her mouth, catching me off guard. Nothing about this scenario was laughable, and yet, that was all everyone seemed to do. Getting answers was proving to be more difficult than I originally realized.

After Pepper caught her breath, she turned back to me, shaking her head in skepticism. My forehead crinkled as I frowned in her direction. My statement wasn't supposed to be laughed at.

"You think the Mandarin wants Tony?" she said softly. "You're the one who threatened him. You're the one who showed strength against his actions. To him, Tony is another irritating superhero, and if he comes after you like I know he will, he will be taken out, no questions asked. You're the only one he wants alive, Em. I suggest you figure out a way to get Tony to stand down before we both lose someone we care about."

She didn't stay another moment, leaving me alone yet again with my mouth hanging open. I was wrong. This was so much worse than what I anticipated.

I tried to pass the time by counting the way the sun passed through the window towards the top of the room I was in. Judging solely from that, another few hours passed which meant it was at least two days since I was put in here.

It wasn't until Aldrich walked back in holding a plate of food that my stomach betrayed my actions. I wasn't about to cave, however, no matter how loud the growling in my abdomen was.

"Emerald Maitland," he said, announcing his arrival. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"

I chuckled. "You honestly thought I would?" I retorted, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't an idiot, as much as he liked to portray himself as one. I knew better now.

"No, but it would make this next part a whole lot easier."

Whatever this next part was, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it. Still, I held my ground, even as he offered the tray of food in my direction.

"I'm not letting you poison me," I snapped.

"You need to keep your strength up," he observed, looking over my figure. "The Mandarin has big plans for you."

Turning my face away from the man standing before, Pepper's words returned to my brain. As of right now, the Mandarin wanted me alive, and that was useful information. For what, conversely, was the problem I was currently dealing with.

"I think I'd rather starve."

Aldrich shrugged, setting the plate of food down on the table across the room from me, out of reach. He grabbed the piece of bread and shoveled it in his mouth, taking advantage of the fact that I wasn't eating. It was yet another interrogative tactic that I knew all too well.

"I'm impressed," he finally said. "You've only been a superhero for what six months now? And already, you're being tortured. How fun is this?"

I rolled my eyes at his bravado. "I think you have a warped idea of what's considered fun," I responded sarcastically.

"Come with me," he said, ignoring my words completely. "I have a surprise for you."

"I suppose I don't really have a choice," I murmured under my breath.

Aldrich snapped his fingers, allowing the two men standing guard at the door to enter and untie the ropes holding me to the chair. I wiggled my wrists around, seeing if the bonds were any looser than before, but I was out of luck for now.

Wrapping his arm under mine, Aldrich hauled me to my feet, leading me out the door and down the hallway. I was starting to put the pieces together about where we were the more I saw of the place. I was in some kind of underground bunker, and judging from the bright sunlight, I didn't even make it out of California.

That was at least some positive news.

"I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this," Aldrich said before he pushed open the door adjacent to where we were standing.

As he led me inside, however, the sickening feeling in my stomach returned. This was where it all happened – the experimentation, the bomb process, everything. There were at least a hundred different pods in the room, most of them occupied by humans who were either screaming in pain or knocked out from the agony blacking out their system.

"This is what you turned down," Aldrich whispered in my ear, leading me further into the room.

On the television screen in the center of the room, a video of the Mandarin walking in the room was on a loop. He would walk up to one participant, ask if they were ready to comply, before moving onto the next one. It was madness.

"You're psychotic," I spat, disgusted with every inch of this room.

"It's raw power," he replied. "How could anyone not take that chance?"

Raising my eyebrow, I turned to face Aldrich, unable to look at the victims any longer. "Maybe because you conveniently leave out the small detail that they're going to blow up after the fact," I said.

Still, he laughed, and I wanted to punch the smug look off of his face. "Our soldiers know the risks going in," he responded with a nod towards the people around us.

"Risks?" I retorted. "It's a death sentence."

"Not everyone blows up, you know. Only if their bodies reject the serum."

As if my day could get any crazier.

One of the men guarding the pods handed Aldrich a pair of scissors a second later. Aldrich rolled up his sleeve, exposing his bare arm before he sliced a thick red line down his arm with one side of the scissors. A gasp exploded from my lips before I could stop it, and I continued to watch in shock as the wound healed itself not five seconds later.

That cut should have killed him in an instant.

"Holy shit," I breathed out, my eyes flickering back up to Aldrich's face.

"Impressed yet?" he had the audacity to ask.

Honestly, if the side effects and the terrorist plot wasn't a part of this entire scenario, I would be. I wasn't ever going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, however.

"Are you the only one it's worked successfully on?" I questioned as he handed the scissors back to the man standing behind us.

He nodded slowly, his gaze resting back on mine. "So far," he admitted, "but I'm hoping I'll have another soon."

His words took a minute to sink in, but when they did, my blood turned to ice in a split second. I knew exactly what he was implying. Everything suddenly made sense.

Aldrich said the Mandarin had big plans for me, Pepper said they all needed me alive for a purpose, and this was it.

"No," I said after a moment's pause. "Kill me first."

"Well, if your body rejects the Extremis, you may just get your wish," came Aldrich's only response before he nodded to the men who were now surrounding us.

I cursed myself for not putting the puzzle together sooner. I was weak now without proper food and water, and even amidst my struggling against Aldrich's minions, I wasn't strong enough to put up a proper fight. I was easily strapped into one of the machines.

I shouted a few profanities in Aldrich's direction before he chuckled once more, shaking his head. "I bet you wish you reconsidered now," he said with a smirk before he flipped on the machine. "Have fun, Emerald."

Pain was nothing to what I felt in that moment. From the second the Extremis started to enter my bloodstream, it felt like someone was pouring molten lava into my veins. As much as I hated to give them the enjoyment of seeing me suffering, I couldn't help but scream.


	17. Chapter 17

**EMERALD**

Sunshine broke through the only window in the room, alerting me back to consciousness. Upon opening my eyes, however, I wished I hadn't. There was no pain that flooded my system anymore, but a dull ache remained. It felt like someone drained my entire blood supply and replaced it with poison.

Even if I was ever let out of this machine, I wasn't sure I would be able to stand, let alone fight. I had to admit, Aldrich had me right where he wanted me. I was screwed.

Groaning, I glanced down at the needles poking out of my arm and sighed. This was definitely not what I wanted to see. It just reminded me of everything that happened to me in the past few days. I was a problem now.

As if summoned, the door swung open to reveal Aldrich himself standing in the doorway, observing his masterpiece. It made me want to vomit at his feet.

"Oh Emerald, darling," he purred, sauntering over to my side. I poked one eye open begrudgingly, glaring in his direction. "It's time to wake up."

I immediately spat in his face, causing him to stumble back with a laugh. "Get me out of this damn thing," I swore, my voice dying in my throat. It felt drier than the Sahara in there, and for the first time since waking up, I wondered when exactly I passed out from the pain.

"That's enough for now," Aldrich finally relented, nodding to his men surrounding him to switch off the machine. I immediately felt the ache subside, causing me to breathe for what felt like the first time in days. Still, my blood felt… alive, as if something was crawling under my skin. I wanted it gone immediately.

As soon as the guards unhooked the needles from my arms, however, I instantly tried jumping to my feet, mentally prepping myself to attack. My body, however, had other plans. In a split second, my legs collapsed underneath me, sending me crashing to the ground. Catching myself on my hands, I forced myself up to my feet, holding onto the side of the Extremis machine for support. So much for escaping.

"Take it easy, tiger," Aldrich chuckled, shaking his head at my stupidity. "Extremis takes a while to get used to, but once you do, you're never going to want to give this up."

I stood there, simply glaring in his direction, and to be honest, I wasn't quite sure how that was an invitation to approach me. Still, it wasn't like I had much of a choice. He ran his fingertips across the top of my forearm, sending a tingling situation throughout my entire body. Instantly, the skin around his fingers glowed red. A heat pulsated in that exact spot, scaring me to my bones.

This was nothing like I ever experienced before.

Aldrich seemed slightly shocked that I was still alive, and I considered that a slight win. I was more of a survivor than they all realized. Still, the shock that my body was going through was enough to put me out of commission for a period of time.

"I really hope you don't blow up," he teased, retracting from my skin.

I molded my face back into the glare from before. "Well, if I do, I hope I take you with mine," I growled.

"Still feisty, that's good."

I heaved a large sigh, trying to summon up every bit of strength I still had within me. "Why the hell did you let me go?" I finally questioned.

"You're needed elsewhere currently," was all he said.

That was very descriptive.

"I'm not your little rag doll," I snapped in return.

Aldrich raised an eyebrow at my retort, shaking his head as he made his way back towards the door. "The Mandarin wants to meet you," he responded casually as if I was going to meet a friend of a friend, not the terrorist currently plaguing America.

"How generous of him to finally return my request," I managed to get out before I coughed, the particles in my throat growing drier by the second.

Aldrich smirked at my sarcastic response before nodding to one of the men to haul me to my feet. For once, I didn't complain. I had no strength to do it myself.

When I was dragged and thrown into a room down the hallway, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. The only encounter I experienced with the Mandarin was through a television screen. If circumstances were different, I would have considered this an opportunity to confront the terrorist once and for all. Instead, I fell to the floor like the rag doll I swore up and down I wasn't.

He was lucky. I honestly had no idea if I would kill him right then and there.

"Emerald Maitland."

His voice was smoother than I remembered hearing on television, but that was nothing to go by. I pressed down into my wrists, hauling myself up to a seated position to properly glare in his direction. His robes cascaded down the side of the throne he was mounted in, and his sunglasses were tipped slightly down his face so he could look at me with his black beady eyes.

"You are not what I was expecting," he added onto his original statement, leaning back in his chair.

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Well, getting injected with Extremis for hours will change a girl," I admitted, a slight smirk appearing on my lips. I refused to play into his game.

"You dare threaten me on my social grounds," he declared. "You rally my fans against me. You even try to have your fellow iron clad heroes tag along. You tried to take everything that I love from me."

I raised an eyebrow at his accusations. It was all true, but sympathy was not what he was looking for. Instead, I felt enraged that he considered the fall of America a piece of what he loved.

"Well, you know, you are a terrorist," I put in, shrugging my shoulders.

The Mandarin tilted his head to one side, barely hearing my words. "And that is why we are going to take everything from you," he concluded.

"Do your worst," I said, the smirk still remaining on my face. No matter what happened, I knew what his plan was now. There was no possible way he could use me to do his bidding.

I felt Aldrich's arms wrap underneath my own, hoisting me up into another chair. He didn't even bother to tie me down this time, knowing that I couldn't even walk. It wasn't like I was going far in this state.

"Remember, you asked for this, princess," he whispered in my ear before I felt a prick in my forearm.

Frowning, I glanced down at where Aldrich inserted an IV in my arm vein. The liquid flowing through was red, and I knew what he was insinuating. The Extremis serum was highly dangerous in large doses, I learned that much, and the Mandarin wanted to see the effects it was giving off in my body. It appeared I became a rag doll, after all.

"I thought you weren't trying to kill me," I pointed out, trying to catch Aldrich off his game in front of his boss.

"I'm not," he said, taking a step backward. "But I do know how to put on a show."

Immediately, a set of camera lights flashed on around the room, blinding me. In the darkness, I didn't recognize the familiar backdrop and throne that the Mandarin was perched on, but it all was clear to me now. This was where they filmed the Mandarin's broadcasts.

And I was next.

"No," I murmured, squirming in my seat as I tried to get up. "No, please."

I hated begging, but there was no other option. I finally pushed myself to my feet, IV still implanted in my arm, but instantly fell to my knees. I was in no position to argue, and they knew it. This was their plan all along.

Glaring at the Mandarin, a thousand thoughts ran through my brain as I was lugged back into my chair. He was using me as an example, but also as bait. Pepper was right – if Tony came after me, he would be dead in a split second. I couldn't let that happen.

"What was it that you told Ms. Potts?" the Mandarin questioned, leaning down to meet my eyes. "We don't negotiate with terrorists?"

A sick smile appeared on his lips as he leaned back in his throne, the cameras now officially rolling. The smile remained as he tilted his head to one side, staring down the blinking red light at the top of the camera.

"America," he began, his voice sending a chill down my spine. "I see your hostilities have grown weaker." He paused, getting to his feet and gesturing to where I was sitting. "Allow me to provide you with incentive."

I gave the camera a defiant stare as Aldrich flipped it over to record me. I refused to play this game any more than I had to.

"Your precious Iron Woman threatened my existence for far too long," he continued, pacing back and forth behind my chair. "The Extremis that fills her veins will only continue to weaken her until her insides collapse. And if anyone wishes to challenge me any further, especially you Tony Stark, you know where to find me."

The lies were getting too much. If I survived this long with the Extremis, there was a high chance that I wouldn't die at all. Still, the incentive was there to scare the public into obedience.

At the mention of Tony's name, however, my eyes widened. "No, Tony-" I tried to say in a last attempt to prove to the camera that I was handling myself.

Before I got another word out, the Mandarin slapped me across the cheek, shocking me into silence. The pain in my arm from the Extremis dulled the sense of the slap, but I still let out shaky breaths as I attempted to recover.

"You have twenty-four hours until my reign begins," he concluded before the lights shut off, signaling the end of the broadcast.

I attempted to catch my breath again as one of Aldrich's men ripped the IV out of my arm. A little splatter of blood still remained, a reminder of the terrorization I was unable to stop. I needed a plan, and I needed one immediately if I was going to survive this. If I didn't, the Mandarin was going to manipulate the public to a greater degree, and I was the perfect pawn.

"How was that?"

The change of voice snapped me out of my thoughts completely. At first, I thought a new person entered the room, but upon second glance, the voice appeared out of the Mandarin's mouth. It wasn't the silky sinister voice that I heard for the past month. It was a rough British accent.

I blinked a few times in confusion as Aldrich sauntered over to his side with a wide grin, clapping him on the shoulder. "Brilliant as usual, Trevor," he said. "Thank you."

Who the hell was Trevor?

If I thought I had it all figured out, I was not even close.

"Wh-what?" I stammered in clear confusion as the Mandarin was ushered out of the room by a few of Aldrich's men.

Aldrich laughed, relishing in the disbelief shining on my face. "You really didn't think that idiot was the Mandarin, did you?" he said.

Okay, I was really confused.

Apparently, Aldrich decided to take pity on me, practically seeing my brain attempt to put the missing puzzle pieces in. "He's an actor, Em," he said matter-of-factly. "His name is Trevor Slattery. I hired him to be my face, to do what I couldn't."

In a split second, it all made sense.

"You-you're the Mandarin."

The stupid smirk returned on Aldrich's face as he spoke. "Guilty as charged," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "And you will either be my greatest weapon or a fun play toy until you explode."

"I'm going to kill you," I hissed, shoving myself to my feet and lunging in his direction.

Unfortunately for me, I fell to the ground a few feet from the chair, my body weakened from the poison sloshing around in my veins. Aldrich only laughed at my failure, shaking his head.

"Get busy living or get busy dying!" he shouted over his shoulder as he locked me in the room, alone with the movie set.

As I looked around the room in dismay, I felt a lump rise in my throat. It was the perfect plan, as much as I hated to admit it. The President and the rest of the world were so focused on finding the fake Mandarin that they had no idea of what Aldrich was really planning. Even if they eventually found and arrested Trevor, he was loyal to Aldrich. He wouldn't give up the secret, leaving Aldrich to get away with the entire plot.

It was sickening.

Tears fell down my cheeks in rage as I cursed myself for not seeing the plan sooner. I fell right into their trap from the beginning. They were counting on someone to become so enraged with their actions that they would publicly declare themselves against the Mandarin. I was the scapegoat, left to be a martyr for America.

I slammed my fist against a piece of the fake throne, relishing in the fact that I was able to punch through it easily. The Extremis was good for something, I supposed. I played right into Aldrich's game the entire time. I should have listened to Tony.

Now, he was going to die because of a mistake I made.

I heard the door behind me creak open slightly, and I quickly wiped away the tears on my face, refusing to let them see me break down. Turning around, I shielded my eyes from the light emitting from the door in an attempt to see who my next visitor was. I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

A bottle of water was tossed in my direction, and I caught it instinctively. Pepper walked further into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. From her small actions, I knew she wasn't supposed to be in here. That made two of us.

"Drink it."

I raised an eyebrow, holding the bottle of water up to my eyesight. "I'd rather die," I snapped, a lump still remaining in my throat.

Pepper rolled her eyes at my stubbornness. "Extremis is either going to keep you alive or kill you slowly," she stated. "Drinking water is not going to change that."

She had a fair point.

I paused, slowly unscrewing the top of the bottle. She raised an eyebrow in my direction until I took a few sips of water, hating how good it felt against my scratchy throat. After a moment, I placed the half-empty bottle of water back on the ground, glancing back up at Pepper with a gaze of sadness.

"Did you know?" I asked softly.

"Would you like to be more specific?" she questioned, her eyebrow still raised above the other.

"Did you know what they were doing to people?" I explained. "To people like me?"

A sigh erupted from Pepper's mouth, and I sensed the regret in her entire body. "Not initially," she finally said. "We were supposed to be helping people, injured vets, causalities of accidents, things like that. I didn't know we were going to use them as weapons."

I saw the fear on her face for the first time, and I realized that she was as much of a prisoner in this place as I was. She would never admit it, of course, but I knew what it felt like to be trapped in a role that was no longer our own. I didn't say anything for a long time as the weight of the world came crashing down on my shoulders. We were all trapped in an endless loop.

"Emerald."

I glanced up again, my face solemn.

"I'm trying to help you," she pleaded.

I scoffed regardless. If I was in her position, I would do whatever it took to end this, not wait around in the shadows until it was over. "If I had my strength right now, I would kick your ass," I retorted.

"Then, it's a good thing you don't," she replied with a soft smile. "I never wanted any of this to happen, you have to believe that."

I did.

I wasn't about to admit it, though.

"Why are you here?" I asked at last, tilting my head to one side as I finished the bottle of water.

Pepper nodded slowly, glancing over her shoulder one last time. "I'm here to help you escape," she said simply.

Okay, maybe we weren't hopeless after all.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: All the King's Men - The Rigs

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	18. Chapter 18

**EMERALD**

To be honest, I thought Pepper was playing another cruel prank on me. After all she had already done, it would take something great to cause her to flip sides.

Upon looking in her eyes, I saw nothing but honesty resting there. That was something that terrified me. She and I both knew what each other were capable of, and I had no idea what to do with that information.

"I'm sorry," I stammered, leaning forward slightly. "You're here to do what?"

This was not a situation where Pepper had the opportunity to walk away from all of this. If Aldrich realized what she was doing, she would be dead in a second. Still, I was intrigued by her proposal. Even if she eventually backstabbed me again, I had a chance.

"This has gone on far too long," she said. "You have to get out of here before it's too late."

It already was too late, but I wasn't about to admit that.

"Pepper, I can barely walk, let alone figure out a way out of this mess," I observed, gesturing to the ground I was still sitting on.

Pepper shook her head, refusing to accept my denial. "Emerald, if you don't get out of here, Tony is going to come looking for you," she stated. "And when he does, Killian is going to kill him."

"Tony's not that stupid," I argued.

"Tony is head over heels in love with you. There's nothing he wouldn't do."

She did have a point.

Still, I couldn't figure out why she was doing this. If she managed to escape from Aldrich's wrath, she wouldn't be accepted back into Stark Industries after what she did. On the other hand, if she kept going at the rate she was going, she was going to kill herself with guilt. For the first time, I wondered if she knew what she was giving up when joining Aldrich's side or if it was one last middle finger to Tony and me.

She clearly wasn't in the mood to answer questions today, however.

I heaved myself to my feet, holding my arms out to the side in an attempt to steady myself. Other than severe dehydration and starvation, I felt less weak than before. The fact should have comforted me but only resulted in further panic. They weren't going to let me walk away from this.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I directed my attention back towards Pepper, still standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"So, I haven't exploded yet," I stated. "Does that mean the Extremis is working?"

"It seems so."

I raised an eyebrow, thinking back to the way Aldrich acted. If he was feeling the same way I was right now, I would actually have to commend the way he handled the pain. Something told me, however, that it wasn't the case.

"Then why do I feel like shit?" I spat towards Pepper.

"Because you haven't been able to use it yet."

Apparently, today was the day to give me the most cryptic answers as possible. I rolled my eyes, expressing my distaste for her replies in my expression.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired, taking another shaky breath.

Once again, my question was left unanswered. Instead, she sauntered over to the door, yanking it open to allow two men and a woman enter the room behind her. If this was another game, I wasn't so keen on playing. Like the other times, however, I wasn't sure how much of a choice I was given.

"I'll be outside the door when you're done," she said softly before she closed the door behind her, leaving me in the room with the three strangers.

"You've got to be kidding me," I murmured under my breath, shaking my head. This was too much to deal with.

I slowly bent down, picking up the water bottle I left scattered there and chugged the remainder of the liquid. The three people currently stalking a circle around me couldn't have been more different from each other, other than the fact that they were all glowing red. Pepper brought me Extremis play toys.

Great.

"Alright," I sighed, dropping the empty bottle to the ground. "Let's get this over with."

If any of them exploded in front of me, I was going to kill Pepper for real.

The woman attacked first, slamming into my back and knocking me back to the ground. Annoyed, I shoved her aside, barely getting back to standing before one of the men landed a blow to my gut. I felt the wind rush out of my lungs before the other man tackled me back to the ground. If Pepper seriously thought this was going to help me, she was deranged.

I didn't even have time to fight back before one of them landed another blow to the side of my ribs and another to my lower spine. I was going to be a cripple before I even had an opportunity to land a punch.

That was until I looked down at my skin and saw it glowing red. I barely felt the others hitting me any longer as a warm feeling started to spread throughout my body as if someone ignited a fire in my blood. The pain just disappeared right along with it.

"Holy shit," I whispered, feeling more alive than I ever did before.

Time passed in a blur after that. I remember catching the woman's hand as she attempted to land another punch to my face, feeling her bones crunch under my own hand. Somehow, I managed to get back to my feet. Somehow, I managed to take all three of them down in a matter of minutes. It felt like I blinked my eyes, and they were all laying at my feet, beaten and bloodied.

Taking another shaking breath, I looked down at my hands, horror drowning my emotions as I saw how raw and red they were. Other than my ragged breaths, there was no other sound in the room. The once strangers were unconscious, surrounding me the same way they had when they first entered. Pepper was still waiting for me to open the door, and I hated the fact that she was right.

I felt reborn.

Apparently, the silence lasted longer than Pepper had time for. She swung open the door, catching me in the act of staring in dread at what I did to these people.

"Are we going or what?" she whispered, even though it sounded like she was shouting in my own ears.

I shook my head, lifting my head up to stare at her. "Pepper, what did I just do?" I asked slowly, unable to comprehend the blur that overcame me moments before.

"You've unlocked Extremis."

"This…" I trailed off for a moment before collecting my thoughts. "I'm a monster. Whatever this holds, it's dangerous. Aldrich is dangerous-"

"Get your shit together," she interrupted my babbling. "Emerald, we have to go now."

Pepper's words definitely weren't what got through to my brain, finally telling my feet to move, but rather the fact that I couldn't stand to look at the figures lying on the ground any longer. I followed her down the hallway in silence, hoping she crafted this out to avoid cameras and anyone coming to check on me. I wasn't sure we were going to be able to talk our way out of this situation.

"Why are you helping me?" I finally questioned.

Pepper paused for a moment, and I swore I saw guilt actually shine in her eyes. "This has gone on far too long," she said. "Aldrich is out of his mind."

That reminded me.

"He's the Mandarin, Pep."

This time, she actually did stop in her tracks. "What?" she blurted out, shock crossing her features. There was no way that part was faked. She clearly had no idea, which meant she was just as much of a pawn as I was.

"Stop stopping," I scolded, glancing back over my shoulder nervously.

I half-expected to see a handful of guards chasing after us, but there was still an empty hallway behind me. Pepper, on the other hand, was still staring at me like I grew another head.

"He sold Extremis to the Mandarin," she tried to say, but I shook my head, cutting her off.

"The Mandarin doesn't exist," I blurted out. "It's a front for the government to chase after while he gets away with murder. You really didn't know?"

Pepper bit her lip, shaking her head to mimic my actions. "No," she said softly. "But now, I have a score to settle."

"Pepper," I begged. "Get out while you still can. Tony will forgive you."

"Emerald, I just helped to murder all of those people whether I realized it or not. Do you really think anyone is going to want anything to do with me, let alone forgive me?"

She had a point, as much as I hated to admit it.

"The best thing I did was make you CEO of the company," she continued. "If you survive this, keep Tony's legacy alive. Someday, it might be yours."

If she was trying to calm me down, it certainly wasn't working.

"I'm just trying to live until I can see him again," I commented. "And you should too."

"I'm trying to right my wrongs here," Pepper replied, my words rejuvenating her actions of allowing me to escape. "I need to find out the truth about what I got myself into."

She was caught in a death sentence, and it seemed we both knew it.

"If Aldrich finds out that you let me escape, he'll kill you," I stated the obvious, just in case it wasn't as obvious to her.

"I'm a tough girl, Em," she said. "I can handle it."

I didn't believe her.

Granted, I knew Pepper was one of the toughest women in this universe, but Aldrich was something else. We were no match for the power that he contained. I was an idiot for wanting to take on this organization alone.

"Pepper-" I tried to say, but she wouldn't let me get another word in.

"Get out of here, please," she pleaded, practically shoving me towards the doors I hadn't realized we were standing in front of. "Wait, there's one more thing."

I nodded, my eyes searching hers. "Anything," I vowed.

"Punch me for the cameras."

I glanced up at the camera hovering down the hallway and felt an exhale escape from my chest. She really planned the entire operation out.

"I wish I could say I was sorry, Pep," I said sadly, my gaze meeting hers one last time. "But now, all I can say is thank you."

I didn't hold back before I pretended to shake her hand before punching her hard in the gut, sending her doubling over. A part of me hoped we would see each other again, but my hopes were no longer high. She was going to attempt to fix this mess, and I wasn't going to be around to save her.

I supposed sacrifices ran in our Iron Man family.

I hadn't known where Aldrich was keeping us in the warehouse, but surprise still rang across my face when I emerged in the alleyways of Los Angeles. I was back where it all started. A part of me just wanted to run straight home to Stark Mansion, but I knew Tony and Rhodey wouldn't be there any longer. If they even made it back from Tennessee, they would be looking for me and the fake Mandarin after the broadcast he made.

That was how I found myself stumbling through the streets, cursing myself for not knowing these streets better. New York, on the other hand, was more complicated, but having lived there for the majority of my life, I knew it like the back of my hand.

I managed to snag a Dodgers baseball cap and a pair of aviator sunglasses from an outdoor booth easily enough, even though the sun was already setting. If I was recognized, my entire escape would be compromised. I had to get far away from this place.

Unfortunately, pay phones didn't really exist in this city. Even if I was able to find one, it wasn't like I had change in my pocket.

I hesitated behind a group of people waiting in line at what looked like a movie theater. How ironic. As much as I didn't want to approach anyone directly, I was getting desperate. The longer I stayed in one spot, the easier it would be to find me.

"Excuse me," I said quietly, earning the attention of the last person in line. "Do you know where I can find a phone?"

Unfortunately, my disguise was futile.

"Hey," the man said too loudly for my own comfort. "I know you."

I shook my head, pulling the cap further down on my forehead. "Please, I just need to use a phone," I repeated.

The two people standing in front of the initial man turned around at his raised voice, taking in my ragged appearance. "Wait, you're the Iron Woman!" one woman shouted, pointing in my direction.

"Please don't say that-"

"It's Emerald Maitland!" "Emerald!" "Can we take a picture!"

The exclamations were getting too much. I never hated being a celebrity more than this moment. If I made it out of this alive, I was convincing Tony to go underground.

A flash interrupted my thought process as one of the strangers took a picture of me on their cell phone. This was a sure way to get caught, especially knowing what Aldrich had at his dispense. I held a hand in front of my face, but the others didn't seem to get the hint.

A few more flashes were all it took for the warm feeling to start spreading through my system again. I knew what was coming next.

"Shit," I swore, glancing down at my arms to see the familiar red glow. "You all need to get out of here right now!" I took a few steps backward slowly, trying to escape the constant paparazzi, but they only followed me down the street. "I mean it! Go!"

It wasn't until one of the fans grabbed my arm that a blast radiated from my skin, sending all of us sprawling across the sidewalk. This was clearly not helping my cover.

Swearing again, I scrambled to my feet, avoiding the civilians' stunned expressions, and darted down the street. I needed to get as far away from the movie theater as possible.

The only problem was that for once, I had no idea where to go.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Tomorrow - SR-71

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	19. Chapter 19

**EMERALD**

Last time I tried to lay low, I ended up befriending a hacker. I didn't expect this time to be more successful.

After the incident at the movie theater, I knew Aldrich was looking for me. I was his protégé, after all. The Extremis hadn't worked on anyone else, as far as I knew, and he wasn't going to let me go so easily. Both Aldrich and Tony weren't going to stop until I was found.

I was determined to keep that from happening.

That was how I found myself sitting in a dive bar a few miles from the movie theater. I was right outside Los Angeles by now, and while a part of me knew I should keep running, I had no ID, no credit card, nothing to even prove who I was. Other than the glowing red serum inside my body, I had nothing going for me.

The only thing I had was two hundred dollars in cash. Therefore, a drink was definitely in order.

I sat there, my ballcap pulled tighter against my forehead, sipping my beer slowly. I needed a plan, and I needed one quickly. I wasn't sure if Aldrich had a way to track the Extremis, and if he did, then I was definitely screwed. Still, I doubted he even knew about this place, let alone would dare to step foot inside it for fear of dirtying his thousand-dollar shoes.

"…And the search is on for the Mandarin…" the TV was blaring. A part of me wanted to ask the bartender to turn it off, but I didn't want to draw more attention to myself than necessary.

I glanced up at the news station just in time to see the video that Aldrich took of the Mandarin and me replaying on the screen. "Emerald Maitland was kidnapped over forty-eight hours ago," the reporter was saying. "There is no comment from Tony Stark as-"

Not wanting to hear the rest of the statement, I tipped the glass back, letting the liquid slide down my throat. The alcohol burned the back of my throat, but I barely noticed. Pain was second nature to me by now.

I didn't realize how aggressively I slammed the glass back on the bar counter until the bartender gave me an exasperated look. "Another one?" he questioned, suppressing an eye roll.

I wondered how long it would be before he recognized me from the news that was constantly broadcasting my kidnapping on a loop. Instead of verbally responding, I pushed my glass across the counter towards him. If I limited my speech, that was one less way he could identify me.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" he asked, handing the now full glass back to me a few seconds later.

So much for that theory.

I shrugged my shoulders, staring at the countertop instead of at the bartender himself. "I have nothing to talk about," I said softly.

Apparently, he was really in a mood to talk to someone.

"This whole Mandarin business-" he started to say, making some form of small talk.

"I especially don't want to talk about that," I snapped, taking another sip of my beer.

The bartender took a few steps back, catching onto my hostility quickly. I felt guilty for a few seconds before I reminded myself that I was the most wanted woman in America right now. If there was ever a time to be rude, this was it.

"Well, if you want another beer, you know where to find me."

I heaved a sigh, glancing back up at the television hovering over the bar. "Jesus Christ Em," I swore under my breath. "Pull yourself together."

When I realized what I was staring at, however, I almost dropped my beer glass back on the counter. The bartender definitely would have kicked me out then.

"…And that was the last footage we have seen of Tony Stark since Emerald's kidnapping," the reporter was saying over a clip of a man darting into a warehouse. From the fuzzy image, I couldn't tell who it actually was even if I squinted. "He was seen entering an underground AIM facility a few hours ago. Rumors have speculated that he's searching for the Mandarin…"

When the footage zoomed in, however, my blood turned to ice. The warehouse that the supposed Tony was entering was the same one that I was previously held in. That couldn't have been a coincidence.

"Hey!" I shouted towards the bartender. "Is this live?"

"Should be."

I wasn't expecting much of an answer. That was enough information for me.

I slapped enough cash to cover the bill and more, chugging the rest of my beer. "Keep the change!" I hollered towards the bartender before yanking my hat further down on my head and heading outside.

For the first time since Aldrich kidnapped me, I felt lighter. I had a purpose again, one that wasn't being blackmailed for terrorism purposes. Once I found Tony, we would take down Aldrich once and for all the way we were supposed to from the beginning – together.

"I'm coming for you, Tony," I said under my breath, a small smile appearing across my lips.

"Actually," came a groveling voice from behind me. "I think he's coming for you."

I barely caught a glimpse of Aldrich's face as I exited the bar before I felt an electric shock pass through my entire body. I glanced down to see the taser jabbed in my side before my eyes rolled back in my head, sending me collapsing to the ground.

So much for hope.

When I finally woke up again, I immediately felt pain searing through my body. I knew instantly where I was even before I opened my eyes. Sure enough, I saw the needles sticking in the sides of my arms as the rest of my body was locked into the Extremis machine.

I let out an audible groan, unable to stop myself. "Not again," I hissed, trying to shove down the agonizing feeling as best as I could.

"Brilliant escape, I have to say," Aldrich said, standing not a few feet away from my station. "Taking out all of those guards, tricking Pepper.." He trailed off, staring into my soul. "Extremis suits you well."

"How did you find me?" I spat, clenching my jaw.

Aldrich shrugged, taking a few steps closer. "Well, when you're a national figure, it makes my life easy," he pointed out, confirming what I already knew. I was screwed from the moment I stepped out of the door.

"Where's Tony?" I asked a second later, cursing myself for not questioning about his whereabouts first.

If he was still here, it meant that Aldrich got to us both. That was never going to end well.

"Don't worry, I haven't killed him yet," he responded. My heart sank further in my chest as he established that he was holding Tony captive, same as me. "He doesn't even know you're here yet, although when I showed him a video of the injection process, he did have some colorful words to say to me."

My stomach lodged itself in my throat as a mental image of Tony being forced to watch my ordeal crossed my mind. I knew if I saw what Tony was going through, I would stop at nothing to save him. Still, I had to stay strong, even if it was just for his sake.

"If you even lay a single finger on him, I swear I will kill you myself," I promised, shoving down the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

Aldrich had the audacity to smirk at my remark. "I would love the challenge, Em," he said. "I may just take you up on that."

"You're sick."

My glare towards Aldrich and his smirk shifted as a guard burst through the door behind him, breathing heavily. He definitely just sprinted across the warehouse to find Aldrich, and judging from his expression, it was not good news. That made my day slightly better.

"Sir, Tony Stark is loose in the compound."

Scratch that, it made my day immensely better.

Seeing Aldrich's face contort from his smug expression to a crestfallen one was the cure I needed to get through the remainder of this torture. He took a deep breath before he spun around, raising an eyebrow in the guard's direction.

"I know you didn't just say what I think you just said," he said.

The guard's eyes went wide as he flailed his arms around, trying to find the words that would justify his actions. "His suit just appeared out of nowhere!" was all he could come up with at the moment.

If I wasn't currently hooked up to a death machine, I would have laughed.

Aldrich turned back towards me with another exhale of exasperation. "I am working with imbeciles," he said, shaking his head.

What I didn't expect, however, was Aldrich pulling out a gun from his jacket pocket and shooting the guard point blank in the forehead. I audibly gasped, my heart racing in my chest. My mouth was still wide open as Aldrich spun back around to face me, tilting his head to one side.

"You better hope he's not coming for you," he said.

I narrowed my eyes, collecting myself back together before I spoke again. "You better hope he is," I responded. "Because when he finds out what you really are, there's nowhere that you can hide that he won't find you."

There was a long pregnant pause in the air in which Aldrich and I matched each other's gaze. Despite the poison being poured into my veins this very instant, I felt pretty confident that Tony and I were both going to make it out of this.

"We're moving locations tomorrow," was all Aldrich said before he turned back towards the now open door. "You better be ready."

"It's like you don't even know me," I retorted, watching him leave without as much of a glance over his shoulder.

I waited until I heard the door click shut and lock us into the room that I let out a loud scream. As much as the news about Tony made me smile, I knew that it wasn't going to end well. Neither Tony or Aldrich were going to stop until they got what they desired. Unfortunately, both sides included me.

"Dammit!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, not caring who else I was waking up from the room.

Groaning, I looked down at the needles and wires in my arms, trying my hardest to wiggle out of them. I successfully got one out, feeling a searing pain emerge a second later.

"Don't bother," came a voice from further down the row of machines, and I whipped my head around, trying to see who it was. "You're only going to rip your arm open, and then you'll bleed to death."

Much to my dismay, the wound I created in my arm healed almost instantly from the Extremis. The pain, however, did not fade. Not even close.

"Who are you?" I called out into the room, waiting for the same man to respond.

"Someone who volunteered for this," he replied a second later, scoffing. "Can you believe it?"

Pain was temporary. If the Extremis kept me from bleeding out, I liked to think that I could handle the agonizing ripping of my skin.

"I've done stranger things," I voiced my thoughts aloud before another needle ripped a bigger hole in my arm. I cried stridently, scrunching my nose up in distress. Okay, I needed a new plan.

"Cut it out," the same man responded, hearing my cries. "I mean it."

I sighed, leaning my head back in defeat. "I'm getting used to being kidnapped," I said with a dry laugh. "Is that messed up?" I closed and reopened my eyes, my body adjusting to the dull throb that was pulsing in my arm. "So, what happens now?" I asked again, not earning an answer the first time around. "I already know I won't explode."

"That's even worse."

That wasn't exactly the answer I was expecting.

"Why?"

"They'll use you not only as a weapon but as leverage," he pointed out. "And by the sound of it, they already have. Who do they have against you?"

This time, I kept my eyes closed as my eyes threatened to fill up with tears. I wasn't exactly sure if it was emotional or due to the pain, but either way, I needed them to dissipate as soon as possible.

"My boyfriend," was all I said, hating how my voice cracked when I said it.

I heard him exhale from a few machines down, and I wished more than anything that I could see another person's face. "He must be someone special if they're willing to go through all of this just to piss him off," he said eventually.

"He's already pissed off," I responded. "I'm worried he's just collateral."

"If they really wanted you alive, they wouldn't have injected you with this," he said after a moment's pause.

For the first time, I wondered what everyone else's stories were. Volunteers or not, I knew that there was no possible way to overcome this.

"Unless they knew my body would react positively," I commented, the idea dawning on me.

"How would they know that?"

It took me a minute.

"Pepper," I groaned, putting the pieces together. I didn't even hear his question of who Pepper was, but I knew he was invested now. "Someone I work with works for the Mandarin," I explained. "She must have a blood sample of mine."

"It sounds like you're screwed."

His optimism was severely damaged. To be fair, however, he was definitely here way longer than I was. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if I was here for another day, let alone however long he was here for.

"I have to get out of here," I said softly, reopening my eyes in an attempt to figure out a different way out of this machine.

"No shot at that."

Mr. Optimism down the row was not being very helpful. I wanted desperately to prove him wrong, but I knew there was no way out of the Extremis contraption without ripping both of my arms apart.

"I just feel so useless," I said with a groan, resigning myself to my fate.

There was another long stale moment that hung in the air until I heard someone clear his throat from further down in the room. I couldn't do much other than lift my head up from where it was leaning against the back of the machine, but I instantly knew it was the same person I was talking to before. I wondered if the others were still asleep or worse, already dead.

Shuttering, I shoved those thoughts aside. I had to focus on myself right now.

"You know what I do to pass the time?" he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

"What?"

"Think of your favorite memory and play it over and over again in your head. They can do whatever they want to my body, but they can never take my memories from me."

I let his words sink in, immediately playing back several memories in my head. There were happier times, yes, but ones when I finally realized who I was. With Tony, Pandora and even Valencia, I felt that way again.

"What's your name?" I finally asked, refusing to think of him as Mr. Optimism anymore.

"William."

I sighed, letting a stray tear fall down my cheek. He had a point. No matter what they wanted to use me for, I still had my mind. I still had something.

"William, we're going to survive this together," I declared after a minute of composing myself.

Another audible sigh rang through the room, and I knew his hopes weren't high. "How can you be so sure?" he questioned.

"Because I'm Emerald Maitland."

I wasn't sure if that counted for anything anymore, but if I was going to be recognized as a celebrity, it would be to my advantage. I had a lot going for me, despite the fact I was currently trapped in a death machine.

William was silent for a long period of time, putting the pieces together, and for a second, I thought he had no idea who I was. To my dismay, he knew exactly who I was.

"You're Iron Woman?" he exclaimed, sending every ray of sunshine I was feeling in the seconds before crashing into darkness.

We were doomed.

* * *

**A/N: **Two chapters in two days? It must be your lucky day! But for real, I've been severely slacking so this is how I make it up to you :)) hopefully, we'll be back on track soon. Enjoy the chapters!


	20. Chapter 20

**EMERALD**

I was immediately blindfolded the second that Aldrich's men unhooked me from the machine. I earned a few side glances when they noticed I ripped two needles out of my arm, but I still kept my mouth shut. With every bit of Extremis that they continued to inject in my body, my rage only grew stronger. I was going to need that if I was planning on surviving this.

After they blindfolded me, I had no idea where they took me until I felt the ground underneath me moving. Clearly, Aldrich was serious when he said that we were moving locations, and clearly, they had no intention of sharing that location with me.

Despite the piece of cloth over my eyes, my hands were bound in a simple rope knot. I knew that was the least of my concerns at the moment, but I chose to rely on my sense of hearing to adjust to my new surroundings. From the sound of it, there barely seemed to be anyone with me. As for the type of car, I guessed I was in the back of a truck. That only made my first point even more suspicious. If Aldrich had room to bring all of the Extremis patients, why didn't he do exactly that?

Wherever we were going, it was the end of Aldrich's plan. I was running out of time.

"You know," I spoke aloud, and I could instantly hear the nervous shifting of the guards around me. "I can't see anything in the back of this truck, so the blindfold is pretty useless."

I knew no one was going to accommodate that request, but I had an alternate motive. I needed to know who was here with me.

"Shut up."

Fortunately, I had grown to recognize that voice. He was one of Aldrich's most trusted guards, and from the hum appearing after his growl, it seemed he also had the Extremis virus in his system. I wondered how long it would take for him to explode.

"You're lucky that you're coming with us," he continued. "The rest of them were blown up and left behind."

I inhaled a quick breath, not expecting such a harsh response. At least, that was one answer, even if it was exactly what I was afraid of. I was the golden child. The rest of them, William included, were the misfits.

Instead of letting the bad news deflate my emotions further, I let them fuel my energy. If I had any intention of making a grand exit, I needed my strength.

"Who are you?" I finally asked. "I think I deserve a name after all the fun we've had."

He chuckled. "Why? So you can add it to your kill list?" he teased. I sat there in silence, not even bothering to respond. I wasn't going to get any more information out of him.

"Savin."

His secondary reply gave a minute later, catching me off guard. If he was as much of a maniac as Aldrich was, I now had two problems on my hand.

"Why are you doing this?" I changed the subject. "To prove a point?"

"To make the world a different place."

I frowned inside the blindfold, tilting my head to one side. "A different place?" I asked. "Not a better place?" That was the first time I heard those words used together.

"If we knew how to make it better, don't you think we would have done it already?" Savin replied easier this time.

I didn't know how to answer his question, despite its rhetorical nature.

He did have a point, as much as I hated to admit it. In a twisted way, we were both trying to accomplish the same thing. Only instead of saving the world that we lived on, Aldrich wanted to blow it all up and start over from the ashes. There was a difference between democracy and dictatorship, and that was where the line was drawn.

I kept my mouth shut for the remainder of the ride until I felt the ground stop shaking underneath my feet. Figuring we reached the destination, I immediately tried to listen in on different sounds or scents that might give away where I was located. It wasn't until someone opened the door of the back of the truck that I was overwhelmed with the smell of petroleum.

That was never a good sign.

"Ah yes, the smell of oil."

I inwardly groaned upon hearing the voice of Aldrich himself. He must have taken a different route to get to our location for security purposes. After all, he knew his days were numbered. Both Tony and Rhodey were after him, and Aldrich knew they weren't going to stop.

"Where the hell are we?" I snapped, already feeling agitated.

A second later, my blindfold was ripped from my face, and I shook out my hair from my face. Blinking a few times to regain sight was difficult enough without the constant stench of fossil fuels in the air. Aldrich only laughed at my response.

"Somewhere where the world can see our demonstration."

Squinting at the sudden intrusion of light, I barely had the opportunity to glance around at the dock I was standing on. The odor that was currently consuming our nostrils was coming from the adjacent ship – a giant tanker full of crates and boxes of what I assumed was fuel. One wrong move and the entire ship would go up in a blaze.

That was reassuring.

I opened my mouth to retaliate but immediately shut it again when I saw a familiar figure sauntering towards me. Flanked by two of Aldrich's men was Rhodey in his Iron Patriot suit. Inwardly groaning, I prayed that he was kidnapped and not here of his own free will. I wasn't sure I could handle another betrayal today.

"Rhodey?" I blurted out, tilting my head to one side.

He never responded.

"My mistake," Aldrich commented with a chuckle. "That's not your colonel." He tapped the front of the Iron Man suit, a taunting look crossing his face. "How are you doing in there, Mr. President?"

It felt like my heart sank to my stomach. This was much worse.

If Aldrich got his hands on the Iron Patriot suit and the President of the United States, there was no telling what he was up to next. He mentioned showing the world a demonstration, and if the President was involuntarily involved, it meant the Mandarin won.

I shook my head, a disgusted look crossing my face. "You are sick," I spat. "What did you do with Rhodey?"

"Let's just say I removed him from power for a little while."

I glanced over to where the henchmen were handling the President. I had to admit, this was not how I pictured meeting the President of the United States. I hadn't even considered the concept that the President of the United States knew who I was until this very moment. And now, we were both kidnapped.

"Is there anything you're not willing to do?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"Not really," Aldrich responded with a shrug. A second later, he pulled a knife out of his pocket. In a split second, I figured this was the end for either the President or myself, but I should have known better. We were public figures. We were going to get a public execution.

Instead, I felt the ropes disintegrate around my wrists. I looked up at Aldrich in shock. There had to be a catch, judging from the stupid smirk still plastered across his lips.

"I would tell you not to run, but it's not like you have anywhere to go," he pointed out, gesturing around to the ship we were about to board. "Savin, tie up the President. The world is about to see the Mandarin's final act."

I flexed and extended my wrists, getting used to the feeling of not being bound at least for a few minutes. Heaving a sigh, I turned around myself, catching the watchful eyes of Aldrich's men. Even if I took off down the deck, I was no match for all of them.

I was free, but I was still trapped.

Deciding to undergo a different tactic, I focused my attention back on Aldrich. "Why me?" I finally asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"Hmm?"

Aldrich pretended that he wasn't listening to me, but I saw the way his eyebrows skyrocketed to his forehead.

"I get it," I said with a shrug. "You needed someone to bond with the Extremis without, you know, the unfortunate complications. But there are a million people out there who are stronger and better suited for this than me. Hell, there might be people who even volunteer for this. But still, you chose me."

Aldrich sighed, taking my arm softly. Together, he guided me towards the ship, but I felt the strength of his grip. I wasn't going anywhere.

"You are correct that I needed a warrior," he commented. "But I also needed someone who can be easily corrupted."

I raised my eyebrow towards him, leaning slightly away from his grasp. "You started with flattery but went downhill from there," I replied.

"Not willingly, of course," he added quickly, redeeming himself. "I needed someone the public was infatuated with enough that they would believe anything he or she said. If you said that Aldrich Killian's Extremis was the key to saving the world, they would bow down to me in seconds."

I let his words sink over my skin, recalling Pepper's speech about me being the one the Mandarin wanted from the beginning. If this was all planned out far before I even threatened the Mandarin publicly, then I played right into his trap.

"You think I'm that person?" I questioned.

"Have you listened to yourself?" Aldrich answered with a laugh. "Have you truly realized what you've done? You were the key to bringing the Avengers together. You were the key to getting Tony Stark back from the brink of darkness. You are the influencer of the century."

I continued to stare at Aldrich in a mixture of awe and disgust. "I think you've gone off the deep end," I said aloud, but even I wasn't convinced by my own words.

"I think you're being humble," he said softly, stopping us in our tracks and looking straight in my eyes. "You're dangerous, unpredictable, you definitely can't be trusted. And yet, you're going to be my greatest creation, even more so than Trevor Slattery." I tried to hold his gaze the best that I could, but with every new sentence he spew in my direction, I felt my heart racing. "Once I have Tony Stark and your other friends dangling over your head, you'll see how much power you really hold. The world deserves better than Emerald Maitland."

I pretended not to feel like I just got punched in the gut. Taking a few deep breaths to calm the rage that was boiling in the pit of my stomach, I tried to put a more confident face on. Still, I knew Aldrich too well by now. He already knew that he hit a sore spot.

"I told you, I don't bow to terrorists," I commented after a momentary pause.

Aldrich only shrugged his shoulders. "Trust me, you will," he said softly, and I had a sneaky feeling he was right.

"Tony escaped your last prison," I pointed out, desperate for an attempt to redeem myself. "What makes you think he won't escape your next one?"

"Because it's a two-way street, darling," he replied. "If you both love each other, you'll do anything to keep each other safe. I plan to use that to my advantage."

As much as I wanted to dispute and say that Tony learned his lesson last time, I saw the sureness in Aldrich's eyes. He was right, and so was I. Neither of them was planning on stopping.

A laugh erupted from his lips before he turned to one of the guards standing behind us. "Lock her up until I have further use for her," he said with a nod.

I didn't even get the last word in as I was led off in a separate direction than Aldrich was heading. I was really getting sick of being locked in rooms until someone needed my newfound talents. Upon hearing the door lock shut behind me, I heaved another sigh, clenching and unclenching my fists.

The world did deserve better than me, and yet, here I was anyway.

"Assholes."

I wasn't sure how much time passed before I heard the sound of gunshots. From the way I was pacing around the edges of the room, it must have been at least a couple of hours. Still, that sound clearly held no optimistic promises.

"What the hell?" I said to myself, glancing up at the sole window in the far corner of the room.

It was too high up for me to see anything but the darkening sky at sunset. Heading to the opposite end of the room, I tried to propel myself into the air to catch a glimpse of something that might have been useful, but I came up empty.

"Shit," I swore to myself, shaking my head.

The sound of gunshots meant that Aldrich's execution of the President was successful, or the execution was interrupted and whoever was attacking was about to be executed. Either way, it wasn't promising results.

I had to get out of this room.

Stalking over to the metal door, I tilted my head to one side as I examined the features of it. The door was made to swing open towards me, meaning that there was a possibility that I could rip the hinges off and take down the door. Of course, that was if the Extremis allowed my body to physically do that. I was no Captain America.

"Okay," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. "Time to put this to good use."

I took a few steps backward, mentally preparing myself, before I slammed my entire body weight against the metal. Being flung back and landing on the floor was not the outcome I desired. Still, I was running out of options.

Shaking my head, I pushed myself back to my feet slowly. "Ow," I muttered under my breath, although the Extremis immediately made the pain fade to nothing. I had one last go in me.

I glanced over my shoulder, stepping back to the opposite side of the room. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, trying to summon up as much strength as I could manage. The President was not dying because of me today. That alone gave me courage to try this again.

Apparently, a running start and motivation did the trick.

This time, as I threw my body weight against the inside of the door, the hinges snapped off, sending the door flying against the wall. I stood there in the empty space, my mouth falling open at what I just accomplished. By the appalled looks on the guards' faces, they felt the same way that I did.

"You know," I said, my gaze flickering back and forth between the hole in the wall and the guards. "I have to say, I didn't think that was going to work."

Catching them off guard was easy enough. I managed to knock them off their feet a second later, sending them careening towards the ground. Hearing a satisfying thunk of their heads hitting the tiled floor was enough to send me sprinting in the opposite direction.

I barely got down the hallway before I felt someone grab my elbow, dragging me into a perpendicular room. Heaving a deep sigh, I wrenched my arm away from my intruder before I saw who it was. My trust was pretty low as of the moment.

Still, I breathed out a sigh of relief when I met Pepper's eyes. The fact that she was standing in front of me meant that she was still alive, but it also meant that she was still on Aldrich's side for the time being. I wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Pepper whispered, shaking her head.

I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms across my chest. "Trying to save the President of the United States," I stated matter-of-factly. "What are you doing?"

"Believe it or not, the same thing."

The expression on my face said it all. Pepper made a face at my nonverbal response as she glanced over her shoulder frantically. Her temporary cover was in danger the longer she stayed at my side, and we both knew it.

"Em, they're going to light him on fire," she said anxiously. "One last public execution."

My worst fears were coming true. I was about to be too late for the country.

"Jesus Christ," I swore, running my hands through my hair. "Pepper, why didn't you run? The longer you stay here-"

I didn't even get to finish my sentence. A part of me knew that there was no changing Pepper's mind when it came to basically anything.

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted before she grabbed my arm again, making sure she had my undivided attention. "Tony's here, Em."

Now, she did.

"What?" I exploded, my heart pounding in my chest.

I was wrong. My worst fears weren't coming true; all of them were already true.

"I brought him and Rhodey here on Aldrich's orders," she added after she saw the look of panic cross my face.

"Are you trying to get them both killed?" I questioned incredulously.

Pepper took a step back in shock, shaking her head. "I thought you would need some backup," she explained, and I honestly almost laughed in her face.

Apparently, everyone was in the mood to insult me today.

"I have this covered," I snapped.

This time, Pepper actually did laugh in my face. If I wasn't so weakened from my fight with the guards, I might have punched her again.

"Look at you," she pointed out, gesturing to where I was holding onto the wall for support. "You can barely walk, let alone get up to the top of the ship to rescue the President."

Details.

"Aldrich wanted you to bring them here because it's a trap," I said. "He brought them here to die, and I wouldn't be surprised if he plans on killing you too when this is all over." She blinked twice at my harsh words, but I felt no regret at telling the truth. "Pepper, I know you're trying to make up for what you've done, but let me do the saving from now on."

I hauled myself away from the wall, pushing past Pepper out of the room we were conversing in. If Tony and Rhodey were here under false premises to save me and the President, I hoped they came prepared for a fight. There was no way we weren't getting out of here without one.

At this rate, I wasn't sure we were getting out of here at all.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm actually the worst, I know. I promise, this story will be done within the next few weeks. I'm not even giving you an excuse this time LMFAO. Enjoy the extra-long chapter, and thank you all huns for the support and comments I love you.


	21. Chapter 21

**EMERALD**

After I left Pepper behind, a sense of guilt washed through my system. She really was trying to redeem herself, and I did exactly what Aldrich wanted me to – alienate myself. Still, whether she was pretending or not, she was still on the opposing side. I had to keep my emotions in check, especially once I saw Tony again.

Tony and Rhodey had each other's backs, I tried to convince myself. They didn't need me for the same reason that I claimed I didn't need them. However, I had a new priority now.

Save the President. Get everyone off of this ship before it explodes. Try not to die.

It seemed like a pretty decent checklist.

My biggest problem at the moment, though, was the damn exit. This place was a labyrinth, worse than the previous warehouse. It seemed like every new hallway I turned down led to another until I was pretty sure I was back where I started.

Glancing up, I laid eyes on the ship's crates that were making up the bulk of the ceiling. If I couldn't find a way out, I could at least find a way up.

I backed myself into the corner of the room I was in, heaving a deep breath before I took a running start and propelled myself up towards the crate. I managed to grab a hold of the bottom portion of the crate and hauled myself up so I was standing on the edge. It took a few more moments of panic before I scaled the rest of the side of the crate.

As much as my heart was pounding, I shoved the terrifying feeling down. I didn't have time to be scared today.

Glancing around at the rest of the ship, I found it way easier to see what was happening around me. Aldrich was nowhere to be found, but I could see his minions pacing around the deck of the ship. They were waiting for the fight that was about to ensue, confirming my suspicions that Pepper accidentally on-purpose led Tony and Rhodey into a death match.

The center of the action, however, was the President of the United States strung up fifty feet above the crates, still locked in the Iron Patriot suit. That wasn't the part that scared me the most. It was the giant fire pit that was growing bigger by the minute.

Aldrich specifically chose this ship because of the gas. It was going to keep the fire going until the President was burned alive. I felt like vomiting at the thought.

"Alright Maitland," I said to myself, taking a step towards the edge of the crate. "Step one."

It seemed that saving the President was going to take a little more effort than I initially realized.

A whooshing sound almost knocked me off balance, and I frantically propelled myself back so I didn't topple off the edge of the crate. A split second later, a pair of Iron Man suits flew by, followed by another pair. I glanced up in awe as every single one of Tony's suits that he created over the past six months joined each other in surrounding the ship.

Perhaps his tinkering was good for something.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as I watched all of them set their targets on Aldrich's followers down below. The fight just got a little evener. If Tony was here in front of me at this moment, I probably would have kissed him.

"About damn time," I said with a tiny smile, shaking my head.

"You're right."

I turned around at the sound of Savin's voice and inwardly groaned as he jumped over to the current crate I was on. The metal shook under my feet as he stalked his way towards me, but I refused to flinch.

"It's about time for you to perish," he said with a smirk.

That was definitely not in my checklist.

"I thought you were supposed to keep an eye on me until Aldrich had another use for me," I commented, raising an eyebrow. "You're not too good at your job, it seems."

"That was before you became a pain in the ass," he replied. I shrugged my shoulders. He wasn't wrong. I definitely did not make anything easy. "Besides, I can tell the boss you slipped and fell upon escape. He'll be so devastated."

I glanced over my shoulder at the fiery inferno that was only growing larger by the second. My time was running out, and so was the President's.

"I don't think so, asshole," I snapped before I lunged in Savin's direction, catching him off guard.

He tumbled down on top of the crate, sending a loud clang echoing throughout the ship. Groaning, he flipped himself to his feet a second later, meeting my punches fist for fist until he landed a blow to my side. I cursed under my breath as I fell to the ground. I barely had time to roll to the side before he stomped exactly where I was a second ago. Spinning back to my feet, I tried to land a few kicks unsuccessfully before I realized how close I was to the edge of this crate.

I refused to die at the hands of this asshole.

"Em!"

I did exactly what I told myself I wasn't going to do.

At the sound of Tony's voice, I froze. My heart leaped into my throat, and against my better instincts, I turned around towards the ground. He was standing right there, concern and relief shining at the same time over his features. I let out a tiny smile before I felt the world slip out from underneath me.

Literally.

Savin took the distraction to sweep my feet out from underneath me, sending me flying off the edge of the crate. I grabbed onto the side desperately, my hands scrabbling to find a better hold. It was a bold move and one I should have seen coming. Maybe Savin wasn't such an idiot, after all.

"Isn't this just poetic?" he taunted, kneeling in front of me. "Your lover sees you plummet to your death just as he perishes too."

I tried my best to calm my racing heart and focus on the solution at hand here. In about five seconds, Savin was going to kick me over the side of this thing, and while there was a pretty good chance the Extremis would save me, I wasn't sure how well I would do falling into flames.

"I think…" I said through gritted teeth. "I think you need to reconsider your options."

I waited for him to deliberate what I said before I summoned up the power I needed to flip myself back on top of the crate. Without the Extremis, I never imagined I had the capability of doing that. As amazing as it felt, it only reminded me of how dangerous this serum truly was.

Savin was still caught off guard from my trick, even as I slammed my foot into his chest, sending him tumbling off the side of the crate and into the flames below. Shaking my head, I watched as a few flames sparked up from the fire, signaling his demise.

"So long, asshole," I said proudly, feeling no bit of remorse for the man who continually tried to kill me.

I couldn't bear to look at Tony's probably stunned face until I hopped from crate to crate, finding it easier this time, and landed safely on the ground. Squinting towards the giant fire raging in the center, I covered my eyes and turned my gaze at where the edge of the flames was getting dangerously close to the President.

Luckily, I wasn't alone.

I spotted Tony and Rhodey almost immediately through the flames and darted around the sparks erupting from the fire. I wasn't in the mood to test if my Extremis saved my skin from burning.

"Tony!" I shouted, earning both of their attention in a split second. A relieved smile passed across my lips until I saw the giant crack in the ship separating us. If I hadn't known better, I would have said the world was playing a cruel trick on us. It was a repeat of what happened at our house.

We didn't have time for reunions anyway.

Tony's face matched my own, and I felt my entire body relax to a degree more. The only thing I wanted to do at this moment was to leap across the barrier and envelop him in a hug. However, I promised myself that I wouldn't let my emotions sacrifice my mission again. We weren't out of the woods yet, but both of us made it this far. We only had one more task to do.

"This whole thing is a trap," I said before either of them could speak. "We have to save the President and get out of here."

Tony shook his head, still in incredulity that we were standing here talking as if we both hadn't been kidnapped multiple times in the past few days. "I…" he trailed off. "Em, what's going on here?"

"I can't explain everything right now," I replied frantically, constantly looking over my shoulder to check the status of the inferno. "They used Pepper to bring you to me. They're trying to use me as a weapon for them, and you're the bait." I shook my head, feeling a lump rise in my throat. "I won't let that happen."

A roaring sound erupted overhead, and I immediately ducked as a fire-blazing crate raced past my head. I stood up again, watching the rest of the Iron Legion tackle Aldrich's men.

"Get the President and get out of here," I added before they could speak. "I'll be right behind you."

"I won't leave you again," Tony immediately said, to which I rolled my eyes. I predicted something of that manner to emerge from his lips.

Instead of arguing, I turned my gaze to Rhodey, tilting my head to one side. I knew he would see the practical side of things. "Rhodey, please," I begged.

"We gotta do what the lady says," he commented, resting a hand on Tony's shoulder. The corner of my lips twitched up in a smile at the sight of their friendship, and for the first time, I wondered how they found each other again after we were all separated. "Alright Tone, give me a suit."

Tony raised an eyebrow in Rhodey's direction, even though his gaze still rested on me. "They're only tailored to me," he observed, signaling for a suit to land next to Rhodey.

"What!"

The suit wrapped one arm around Rhodey, tilting its head to one side. "Shall I give you a lift, Colonel Rhodes?" came JARVIS's electronic voice from the suit.

"Oh, f-" Rhodey tried to swear, but the suit immediately blasted off towards where the President was being held hostage above our heads. I smirked at JARVIS's comment before I glanced back down at Tony. Problem one was solved, onto problem two.

"Tony," I said, giving him a begging look. "I'm fine, and you have to go before I'm not."

"Honey."

I heaved a sigh, rolling my eyes. "I'm not going to have this argument with you right now," I insisted.

"No," he responded, pointing towards my arms. "You're… you're glowing red."

I scanned where he was looking, holding my arms out in front of me. Sure enough, the Extremis virus was taking its hold once again. "Shit," I swore, not realizing how worked up I was. "Um, this is fine." I dropped my arms to my side, trying to take some deep breaths and calm myself down.

Tony's panicked expression was definitely not helping.

Today was not going to be the day my body decided to explode.

"I can handle this," I stalled, trying to convince myself more than Tony at the moment. "I'll-"

Whatever I was about to say faded from my brain as Aldrich dropped to the ground directly behind me, the stupid smirk still plastered across his mouth. I wanted so badly to slap it off.

Changing my line of thought, I willed the Extremis to bring itself back to the forefront of my skin. I was trying to suppress it for Tony's sake, but the virus was the key to defeating Aldrich once and for all. That much, I figured out when I had endless time to myself.

"So, Tony Stark, now you see how beautiful my creation is," he said, gesturing to where I was standing. I held my hands out in front of me, ready to tackle him to the ground if he tried to touch me. "She is enhanced in every way. It's a shame you didn't listen to me all of those years ago. You would have possessed the power of Extremis without making me very desperate."

As I suspected, Aldrich attempted to grab my arm, but I wrestled it away from him easily enough. Chuckling, he shook his head, marveling at how strong I had become with the virus. I hated every second of the way he was looking at me.

I also hated the way he was still ten times stronger than I was, even in my current state. He wrapped his hand around my neck, not hard enough to crush my windpipe but just enough to hold me steady. He wanted to prove to not only me but Tony as well that he was superior in every way.

"This time, I want you to feel what desperation does to you," he said ominously.

Honestly, I should have predicted what was coming next, but I still felt complete shock when he drove a knife through my stomach.

I barely felt pain, even as he twisted the knife deeper in my gut. I was immune to pain by now, but what I wasn't immune to was the secondhand agony that I felt when I saw Tony's face. I was immediately transported back to Stark Tower when he discovered that I was alive with a mixture of anguish and despair written all over his face. This was much worse.

Glancing back down at the weapon in my stomach, I gave Aldrich a puzzled expression. "You-you said-" I tried to get out, but from the way that my body was slowly dying, I couldn't even finish the sentence.

I was stupid to think that I was safe all of this time. He told me that I was the ultimate plan, that I was the person he always desired to wield the power of Extremis, but here I was. He was killing me all the same.

Aldrich sent one more smirk in my direction before he yanked the knife out from my body, sending me falling to the ground. My hands immediately scrabbled to my wound in an attempt to stop my blood from pouring out. There was a dull ache in my abdomen, and my breaths kept coming in small gasps. Other than that, I barely felt anything at all. That was a bad sign.

"Oh, honey," Aldrich purred, kneeling down to my side. "If I told you all of my plans, what kind of villain would I be?" He laughed, glancing over at Tony from across the crack. "You thought I needed you alive? As it turns out, I got a better offer over there."

Fear quickly spread through my system at the thought of what he was planning to do to Tony. I had it all wrong. I turned my head to the side, daring to meet Tony's eyes again. The last thing I needed him to do right now was grieve when I wasn't even dead yet.

"R-run," I whispered towards him before I felt Aldrich's presence disappear from my side. All of those times I thought my worst fears were coming true before meant nothing.

This was it.

The Mandarin and the Iron Man were about to have a battle to the death, and it was all my fault.

* * *

**A/N: **Just another bittersweet reunion for the books :)))) I know I'm the worst, just when we thought everything was going to be sappy and good with my OTP for life. And I oop-


	22. Chapter 22

**EMERALD**

I wasn't exactly sure when I lost consciousness. As soon as Tony and Aldrich disappeared from my vision, it was all over for me. I told myself that I was going to shut my eyes for a second to try and regroup, but I supposed it lasted way longer than a second.

Seriously, I deserved a break. Getting stabbed was a pretty good excuse.

When I felt a hand shaking my shoulder on the ground, I outwardly groaned. If I kept my eyes closed, I could pretend that this was all a bad dream. I was back at home in my bed, laying next to Tony, working at Stark Industries without any terrorists plaguing us. It was a good dream.

Pepper sensed my pissed off expression as soon as I was forced to open my eyes, reality sinking in around me. "Come on, Em," she was pleading. "Don't do this to me now."

"Am I dead?" I questioned, my lips twitching up in a small grin.

Clearly, I wasn't dead. If I was dead, there wouldn't be a giant raging inferno around me, and Pepper certainly wasn't there with me.

"Not yet," Pepper said, relief flickering across her face when she saw my half-smile. "You will be soon if we don't move though."

I tried to prop myself up on one elbow, still keeping one hand clutched tightly over my stab wound. My hands were sticky with my own blood, but there wasn't any more pouring out from the wound. Either Pepper cauterized the wound while I was unconscious, or-

My second suspicion was correct.

As I slowly moved my hand away from my stomach, there was nothing but smooth skin underneath. My shirt still showed a nasty hole where the knife pierced it, signaling that I hadn't made up the entire situation. Still, there was no evidence of a puncture wound at all on my body.

"What the-" I blurted out, scrabbling around to my back to make sure that the wound was indeed fully healed.

Pepper tilted her head to one side. "You know better than to believe everything you see," she commented.

"The Extremis," I said slowly, the realization dawning on me. "It… healed me?"

I was suddenly transported back to Aldrich's warehouse after I was first kidnapped when he demonstrated how the Extremis virus was intended to work. He had sliced open his whole forearm, only for it to heal itself seconds later. Aldrich had a lot more of Extremis floating in his system than I did. I chalked that up to the fact that it took longer for my wound to heal.

"All just another show," Pepper said, shaking her head in disgust. "And Aldrich knew it."

I spit the remainder of blood in my mouth on the ground and hauled myself to my feet. It was unbelievable at how okay I felt, considering that I was mortally wounded not minutes ago. The Extremis needed to be destroyed before it got further into the wrong hands.

"Where's Tony?" I questioned, grabbing onto Pepper's shoulder. "What happened to the President?"

"The President's safe," Pepper promised. "Rhodey got him out. Right now, the bigger concern is that." She pointed towards the giant fire that only got bigger during my time of unconsciousness with a sick expression. "That's going to blow this entire oil tanker in a matter of minutes if we don't get out of here."

I tightened my grip on her shoulder, earning her undivided attention back on the panic in my eyes. "Where is Tony," I asked again, my tone growing serious.

"I don't know."

That was not the reassuring answer I was looking for.

"Then, that's an issue," I replied, wincing slightly as I let go of Pepper's arm. Unfortunately, she noticed my small cringe almost instantly.

"Careful," she warned. "The Extremis weakens you."

I shot her a glare as I straightened up, ignoring the hot flashes of pain that coursed through my body. "I just need it out of my damn system before I explode," I said through gritted teeth.

"We're all going to explode if we don't get off this boat."

She had a fair point.

I nodded firmly, taking a deep breath. It wasn't so much weakness that held me back, it was the concept of going through all of that pain over again to end this. But, it didn't matter. I had no other choice.

"Tony first, escape second," I responded, hating how my voice cracked as I said it.

Pepper threw me a sympathetic look as she hauled my arm over her shoulder for support. I gave a gracious look as we jogged together to where the fire was burning strongest. If there was one thing we learned about Aldrich, he always wanted a show. He was going to kill Tony with this inferno unless we stopped him.

Correction, if I stopped him.

The only way out of this was if Aldrich got a taste of his own medicine. He couldn't be killed with any weapons, I learned that the hard way, and he certainly wasn't about to surrender and be shipped off to prison. This was something I had to do.

When we finally caught sight of the pair fighting, it felt like my heart leaped back into my throat. Tony was switching from suit to suit, trying to attack Aldrich with everything that he had. The lump in my throat only rose further as I realized that he probably thought I was dead.

That was when it hit me.

I was the one that Aldrich wanted, yes, but I wasn't the strongest. I wasn't even close. I was staring directly at the strongest person I knew. He suffered PTSD, he saw me indirectly die twice now, and still, he was here, fighting for what he believed in. I was naïve when I started attacking the Mandarin publicly, and yet, Tony kept hunting him down after I was taken. He was the one who found out the truth.

"Tony!" I shouted finally, trying to earn his attention from where Pepper and I were standing. Still, we were too far away.

Tony and Aldrich were too engrossed in their match to even notice that we were there.

"I'm so sorry, Em."

At first, I hadn't even heard what Pepper said before I set my gaze on hers, giving her an inquisitive glance. "What?" I questioned.

"You were always right," she said sadly. "I am not a good person for what I did, but at least, I know how to fix this." She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. For the first time, I could visibly read the guilt on her face.

I wanted to tell her that I forgave her for what she did, that she always had a place in our family, that she was a good person deep down, but the words died in my throat.

"When they tell my story, make sure they know both sides of it, okay?" she asked of me before stepping away from my side, unhooking my arm from her shoulder.

I immediately fell to the ground without the support of her body weight. Catching myself on my hands, I glanced up at her with a frightened expression. If she was about to do something stupid, I was in no position to stop her.

"Pepper," I begged, trying to crawl my way towards her. "Pepper, what are you doing?"

"It's time for me to own up to my mistakes."

I shook my head, gesturing to the boat around us that was set to explode at any minute. "It's too late for that," I pointed out.

"If there's one thing I learned from Tony, it's that it's never too late," she said softly, taking me off guard. She always was right, it seemed. "Just make sure that they know I was trying to help in the end."

I honestly had nothing to say to that. She finally rendered me speechless.

She threw me one last sad look before she whispered, "I am sorry," and headed off towards where Aldrich and Tony were fighting each other. I screamed her name at the top of my lungs, but she pretended not to hear me.

If she seriously was about to sacrifice herself after everything that we just accomplished, I was going to kill her myself. I called out her name again, but this time, she was too far away to even comprehend. I was a silent observer of whatever was going to happen, and I was powerless to stop it.

Aldrich currently had Tony pinned down under a piece of debris from the ship, pressing it further into his chest. From the way that Tony's hand was outstretched, he was ready for another one of his suits to come and save him. Fortunately, he didn't need to get that far.

"Stop this!"

Both Aldrich and Tony turned at the sound of Pepper's voice as she jogged over to their side. I could barely see the apologetic look she threw Tony, but I knew that Tony realized everything she had done. This was the end of the line for us all.

"Ah, finally," Aldrich said, pulling away from Tony. "Someone to talk sense into the boss."

Pepper tilted her head to one side, pivoting away from where Tony was laying on the ground and giving Aldrich a glare of her own. "I wasn't talking to him," she replied coolly.

"Pepper, don't-" Tony tried to protest, but she didn't even let him get out the rest of his sentence.

"Everything you stand for is monstrous," she continued, her gaze focused solely on Aldrich. "I thought you wanted to bring real positive change on this world, but you only care about your own power. You just wanted to be the next terrorist, pulling the strings without any of the repercussions. I won't stand for this any longer."

Aldrich actually had the audacity to laugh in her face. "You're not innocent in this, Pep," he pointed out.

"I know that, but at least I'm clearing my conscious."

"And I will clear mine."

Aldrich didn't miss a beat to pull out a gun from his back pocket and point it point-blank at Pepper's head. I let out a strangled cry of protest, my mind instantly thinking of all of the stupid things she did. Still, she didn't deserve this. She deserved a chance to make it right without dying.

"I have to ask," Aldrich commented, forever trying to get the last word in. "Was it Emerald that changed your mind or was it seeing your pals again?" He gestured towards where Tony was struggling to get to his feet. "Either way, it proves you're too soft to handle this kind of life."

Pepper smiled at the gun pointed towards her head, and I wasn't sure what terrified me more. The fact that she was willing to sacrifice her life to buy Tony and me some time to get out of here and stop Aldrich, or the fact that she was so hardened now that having a gun pointed to her head didn't even make her flinch. This was not the Pepper that I originally knew.

It kind of made me proud.

"Neither," was all she said in response to Aldrich's accusations, the smile still present on her face.

Aldrich looked taken aback for a split second before he clicked back the trigger of the gun, prepared to do whatever to stay in power. At that exact moment, however, Tony tackled Aldrich to the ground, sending the gun flying out of his hands and sliding towards Pepper's feet. She immediately picked it up, holding it in her hands the same way she did when she was pointing it at me in that hotel room.

A small smile crept across my face as I practically shoved myself up to a sitting position, accepting my resignation in this matter. Clearly, they didn't need my help.

I wasn't exactly sure who was wrestling who, but Tony and Aldrich were back on their feet. Tony had one arm wrapped around Aldrich's chest and other around his waist, holding him still as they both faced Pepper. From the way Tony kept wincing, I knew Aldrich was trying his best to burn Tony as much as possible.

"Do it, Pep!" he shouted, turning his face away.

Pepper paused, the hesitation clear throughout her entire body. "There's no guarantee I won't get you too!" she shouted in protest.

"It's okay," Tony whispered, a brave smile crossing his lips. "It's okay. Just… end this."

With a pang in my chest, I realized that Tony still thought I was either dead or about to be, lying somewhere to bleed out. He was doing this because he thought he had no other options. Pepper seemed to come to the same realization that I had, for she glanced over her shoulder frantically in one last hope that a miracle would happen upon them.

I was supposed to be that miracle.

"I'm sorry, Tony," she finally said, directing her attention back to the two men standing in front of her. "I never wanted this for you."

"Of course, you did," Aldrich tried to protest, still struggling against Tony's grip. "You always said-"

A satisfying look of surprise crossed his face as Pepper shot him twice in the chest without hesitation. I gasped at the sound, frantically squinting towards them to see if Tony was alright. When Tony released Aldrich from his grip, however, I only saw a slight red streak on his side. Exhaling, I let relief wash over my body as I watched Aldrich fall backward into the flames, disappearing for good.

I tried to get to my feet once more, stumbling towards where Pepper and Tony were embracing each other in a solemn hug. A hand on my shoulder immediately stopped me a second later, and I glanced back to see a team of firefighters approaching the scene.

"Oh, thank God," I said softly before I collapsed back to the ground. "We made it."

Rhodey must have called them in to stop the fire from spreading and taking over the gas tanker.

A few of the officers headed over in Pepper's direction, pulling her off to the side to question her. She wasn't in handcuffs yet, but I knew that she was planning on turning herself in. She wanted to make up for her actions, and she knew how to do it. I was just happy that we all survived this.

I blinked heavily from my position on the ground, allowing a firefighter to start checking my vitals. I had no idea how I was going to get Extremis out of my system, but I knew that Tony would find a solution. He always did.

Speaking of, I glanced over in his direction where he was glancing around at the Iron Man suits in the sky. I willed him to walk over in my direction since I clearly wasn't going anywhere, to no avail.

A spark in the inferno caught my attention a second later, causing me to push the firefighter aside from checking me out. That was not supposed to happen. Another heartbeat passed, and a very burned ugly Aldrich Killian walked out of the flames. My mouth fell open at the sight of him alone.

Apparently, I got my answer about the fire and the Extremis.

"Holy shit," I swore, closing my eyes as I tried to summon up the last of the Extremis in my system. With Pepper arrested, Tony was alone once more, and I was not about to be incapacitated any longer. "Come on, come on, come on."

I didn't care if the firefighters thought I was crazy. It wasn't like they were rushing in to help Tony either.

"No more false faces!" Aldrich cried, stumbling his way towards Tony. "You said you wanted the Mandarin, well you're looking right at him. It was always me, Stark, right from the start."

Tony raised an eyebrow, taking a step back in shock. "Uh, I'm kind of liking the old evil scientist look better," he responded.

"Such a shame about your Emerald," he teased. "I almost had her perfect."

At just Aldrich's words alone, I immediately felt rage start to initiate in the pit of my stomach. That was a good sign. I just wasn't sure if it was going to be enough.

"See, that's where you're wrong," Tony replied, his voice cutting through to my ears. "She was already perfect."

My eyes popped open in shock at his words, losing all concentration. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I stood up, not even thinking about what I was doing until I was on my feet without a problem. Glancing down at my arms in surprise, the red glow returned, signaling the strength that the Extremis virus was giving me. It wasn't rage that made me stronger, it was love.

"One last showdown, Mandarin and Iron Man," Tony said right as I took a running start towards the pair of them. It had to be me.

I grabbed a metal pole that fell from the ship earlier, carrying it like a javelin as I sprinted towards them.

"Tony!" I shouted, his head snapping towards me as he heard my voice. I barely had time to smile at him before I threw the pole in his direction. "Catch!"

He caught it way easier than I anticipated, immediately swinging it towards Aldrich's face to knock him off balance. A few charcoaled pieces peeled off his body as a result, and I tried my hardest not to think about how many times it might take to kill this guy.

I slowed my pace, jogging directly in front of Aldrich and halting when I was inches away from his burned body. "I told you that you would die if you ever touched him," I said, the threat hanging heavy in my tone.

It was like I was speaking a foreign language. Aldrich continued to stand there, his mouth agape at my return. "The Extremis… it worked…" he said, finally at a loss for words. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it worked," I replied, a smirk curling the corner of one lip. "And now, I'm going to kill you with it."

Launching myself into the air, I flipped myself around, landing with a kick straight to Aldrich's chest. The blow sent him careening into the flames, and this time, I waited a full minute before turning back to Tony. No more resurrections.

Tony was sitting there on the ground, completely dumbstruck by what he just witnessed. He dropped the metal pole, holding his hands in the air as he stared at me. To be perfectly honest, I didn't realize what I just did until Aldrich was dead, for real this time. On the inside, I felt the same as Tony looked right now.

I took a step towards him, huffing out a few breaths of exhaustion as I tried to remain standing. That took way more out of me than I initially realized, even as I was still recovering from my stab wound. Tony, however, didn't even budge as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I got nothing."

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: NFWMB - Hozier

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	23. Chapter 23

**EMERALD**

It only took seconds for the realization to set in. I felt amazing for about a minute after I side-kicked Aldrich into the fire, removing him from the face of the planet just how I imagined all those days cooped up in the Extremis machine. Then, reality sunk in.

I just killed two people with my bare hands.

"Oh my God," I whispered, looking down at my hands. "What did I just do?"

The red tint was fading rapidly from the forefront of my skin, but I didn't feel any better. If it was possible to feel utterly exhausted and rejuvenated all at the same time, that was the exact emotion I felt. Still, it barely felt real to me.

I was frozen in the exact same spot, my eyes searching Tony's rapidly for answers. I needed some sort of answer for myself if I was going to move past this.

"Hey, hey," Tony immediately turned his tone of voice to one of comfort, sensing exactly what I needed from this moment. "It's over. You're safe. We're all safe."

I took another shaky breath, tilting my head to one side. "It's over?"

"It's over," Tony repeated. "Em, I thought you were-"

"Dead?" I interrupted, letting out a weak laugh. "Why, because I was stabbed?" The chuckle bubbled out of my lips before I could stop it. The irony of this entire situation was too much. "Who's the hot mess now?" I asked, quoting Tony from what seemed like months ago.

This whole ordeal was only a couple of days, and yet, I felt like a lifetime passed.

"Still debatable," Tony replied softly. "Probably tipping your way a little bit."

Just the sound of Tony's voice was already calming me down. I felt the burning sensation start to drain itself from my body after being used so frequently in the past couple of hours. The ache in my abdomen returned, but I knew a doctor's visit was definitely in order for the both of us. The bullet that Pepper fired only grazed Tony's side, but the last thing we needed was any more complications today.

I let the corners of my lips twitch up in a smile the longer I stared at him in front of me. This was real. No more nightmares.

"What am I going to complain about now?" I asked sarcastically, trying to make a joke out of the very grave situation.

"Well, it's me," Tony responded with a simple shrug. "I'm sure you'll think of something." He paused, judging my reaction for a moment before he held out his hand towards me. I hesitated slightly, afraid of what my skin still felt like. "You're okay," he repeated. "We're okay."

I shook my head, fears consuming my brain. "I'll burn you," I argued.

"No, you won't. It's already fading."

He was right. I was being irrational, but the last thing I wanted was anyone else getting hurt because of me. I seemed to be the hazard these days.

I bit my lip, staring at his outstretched hand. "Am I going to be okay?" I questioned so softly I wasn't sure Tony even heard me.

"No."

I glanced back up at his gentle eyes in shock at his honesty.

"You're in a relationship with me," he added. "Everything will never be okay."

Smiling a little in relief, I appreciated his constant need to make everything humorous. For once, it actually worked.

"It's over," I repeated his words from earlier, nodding. Maybe if I said it a few more times, I would actually believe it.

"It's over."

I didn't waste another second before taking his hand, allowing him to pull me into a tight hug. I let myself melt into Tony's arms, feeling secure in his embrace. For the first time since the entire ordeal started, tears flowed down my cheeks – not of what happened to me, but of relief. We were safe now.

"I got you," I heard Tony whisper in my ear. "You're okay, honey. I got you."

This was exactly what I wanted to happen and more. Resting on his shoulder for a moment, I let a few more tears fall from my eyes before I lifted my head, pressing a long kiss to his cheek. He gripped my body tighter as if he was afraid to let me go, and honestly, I didn't blame him. I felt the same way.

"I'll get you better, I promise," he continued to murmur, settling my uneasy nerves that still felt as if they were about to jump from my body. I finally started to relax for the first time in days.

I wasn't even sure how to respond to this display of affection, and so I just stammered, "I-I-I" until Tony took pity on my loss of words.

"It's Christmas, honey," he said softly. "It's time for some fireworks." I lifted my head up, giving him a puzzled expression. With everything that was happening, the holidays were the furthest thing from my mind. "JARVIS?" he called out to the AI a second later.

A suit landed near us, keeping its distance. "All wrapped up here, sir," JARVIS's voice responded from the remote-controlled suit. "Will there be anything else?"

"You know what to do," Tony said, his chest vibrating against my body when he spoke.

If JARVIS was a person, a look of surprise would have crossed his face. Still, I heard the shock in his electronic response. "The clean slate protocol, sir?" he asked for affirmation.

"Screw it, yes. Run it."

I didn't even have a chance to question what this clean slate protocol was before the Iron Man suits took off towards the sky, exploding as they passed over us. I immediately pushed myself away from Tony's embrace, staring in disbelief at what was happening.

"Are you out of your mind?" I exclaimed, watching Tony's hard work from the past six months disappear in front of my eyes.

Tony tilted my chin up to look at him, and I was stunned to see nothing but liberation in his eyes. He felt as free as I did at this moment, despite everything. Perhaps it was everything that led to this decision.

"No more tinkering," he replied with a tiny smile. "We're starting from scratch… together."

I tilted my head to one side, echoing his grin. "I think that'll do," I said before I resumed our hug, staring at the fireworks display over our heads.

For once, I was optimistic that we were going to be alright.

As soon as we reached the hospital back in Los Angeles, I was whisked away from Tony on a gurney into a foreign room in the building. Hours were spent poking and prodding me with more needles, although this time, I barely felt the pain. It was a different kind of test.

When the last nurse left me alone with just one IV in my arm, I shuffled myself up to a sitting position, letting my legs dangle off the side of the bed. The gown felt itchy against my skin, but I knew that was partly due to the Extremis flooding itself out of my skin. The doctors hadn't seen anything like this before, but they followed their protocol for draining poison from one's system. I hardly said two words while they worked.

I needed time to myself.

Now that I was alone, however, I scarcely could do anything except stare at the wall in front of me. Processing the past few days was too much for my brain to handle. The Mandarin, the person who I had been attacking for close to a month now, was a fake. I let Pepper walk right into a trap with Aldrich's plan by pushing them both away, and now Pepper was about to go to prison. I was kidnapped, tortured, injected with super strength, stabbed, and on top of it all, I killed two people. It was better not thinking about it.

A knock on the door interrupted my dangerous thought process, and I forced a smile on my face as I looked up at Tony's hopeful face. "Hey," he said softly, searching my expression for something that he could work with.

"Hey yourself."

He shook his head, shutting the door behind him. "Doc said you're good as new," he added, wringing his hands together. "You used up a lot of the drug already, so it was easy to purge the rest out. You're going to be just fine."

My gaze dropped down to my hands still sitting in my lap, unable to formulate a response. I should have been elated about the news, but a part of my brain needed me to suffer a little bit longer. That was my punishment.

"That's good news," Tony tried again when I didn't reply, sensing my hesitation.

"It… it just all seems like a bad dream," I croaked out, feeling all of the terrible thoughts from earlier returning in a wave.

He sighed softly, wandering over to my side and taking one of my hands in his. "You're safe now, honey," he reassured me. "No one's going to hurt you anymore."

That wasn't exactly what I was upset about.

I finally found the courage to glance up at Tony with tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, unable to hide my anxiety any longer. "I killed two people," I whispered. "Two real human beings."

The sympathetic look Tony gave me in response said it all. "It's not like they didn't deserve it," he pointed out, trying to be helpful. It wasn't exactly working.

"It doesn't mean it was right," I replied. "I… I had so much power, and they made me use it for all of the wrong reasons. When the time came to stop Savin and Killian, I did the same thing."

At this point, I became exactly what they wanted me to be. That was the guiltiest part of it all.

Tony exhaled slowly, taking a seat next to me on the bed, still gripping my hand tightly. I had a feeling we wanted a constant reminder that we were always here.

"Em, you're talking to the man who used to sell weapons of mass destruction to terrorists," he stated. "You don't think that keeps me up at night too?" I felt my chest pang with pity. Here I was, complaining about killing for the right reasons when he was sitting here with massive guilt on his own shoulders. "You are a good person," he added after a moment's pause. "You saved so many people."

"I didn't save Pepper."

She wasn't dead, at least. I wasn't sure if that was better or worse than being locked up for the rest of her life. From the way she was going around telling the truth, I knew they wouldn't take it easy on her.

"She chose her ending, just like she chose to get involved with Killian," Tony tried to say. I didn't even bother arguing. "You want to put the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you'll collapse if you add anything else on there."

I just wanted to make it right. The desire to fix everything kept returning to the forefront of my head, and I forced myself to recall the times I screwed up in New York when I tried to stop the Battle of New York before it even happened. I was a fixer.

The worst part this time, however, was that I had no idea how to fix things when I didn't even know what was supposed to happen.

"How am I going to shift it off?" I questioned, a stray tear falling down my cheek.

"That's why I'm here," Tony immediately replied, kissing my forehead. "I told you that I got you."

He scooted back on the hospital bed, leaning back against the pillows. I didn't waste another second to lay back down on his chest, feeling the security in his arms again. He always knew exactly what I needed before I even did.

"I thought I lost everything," I said softly after a few moments of silence.

"I thought I lost you," Tony replied.

I shifted slightly, glancing up at his resting face. "I managed to take care of myself, but you're the real hero, Tone," I said in all seriousness. "You're way stronger than I will ever be. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I could have saved myself along with the rest of the world."

Tony chuckled slightly despite my sobering comment. "All in a day's work, Em," he teased to which I shoved him slightly in the side.

"You're an idiot."

"I know."

Settling back down, I let the exhaustion run through my body. I barely slept in the past few days, and using the Extremis definitely took more out of me than I initially realized. From healing my stab wound to surviving several battles, I was tired.

Tony sensed my eyelids drooping for I felt him shift slightly underneath me as he tried to get up. "I'll let you sleep," he murmured, brushing my hair out of my eyes. "You need to rest."

I wasn't about to sacrifice losing him again. I gripped his arm as he attempted to move away from me, holding him in place. "Please," I whispered. "Can you stay?"

I felt another chuckle rack through his body before he settled back against the pillows, allowing me to relax against him. Releasing my grasp on his arm, I let my arm fall to his side, my eyes closing once more.

"Always," he said softly.

For once, I felt at peace.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab for Cutie

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	24. Chapter 24

**EMERALD**

When my eyes fluttered open the next day, I had no idea what to expect. I wasn't sure if I was going to be feeling better or worse, if the Extremis finally faded from my system or not, if I even was able to take care of myself or not. There were a lot of questions I didn't have the answer to.

The biggest question that pushed the rest away, however, was the location of Tony.

I sat up slowly, shaking my head as the dull ache of my ordeal returned to my body. "Tony?" I called out, my eyes searching the room for any sign of him. "Tony?"

Before I had a chance to process much further, a nurse opened the door to my room, a large smile passing across her face at the sight of me sitting up in bed.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed, immediately jotting down notes on her clipboard.

My mind was still foggy from just waking up, and I knew that I had a few more days of bedrest ahead of me. Still, I needed out of this place. The last thing I remembered was falling asleep in Tony's arms, and yet, there was no sign of him at all in the room.

"Where's Tony?" I finally found the words to ask, my voice sounding as groggy as I felt.

"You're looking in great health," the nurse continued as if I hadn't spoken. "I'm just going to do a few more post-ops tests, and then you'll be all set to discharge."

"Tony," I repeated, trying to get my point across. The longer I sat here staring at the nurse in front of me, the more sober I became. I needed the IV out of my arm, and I needed to know where my boyfriend was.

The nurse eventually glanced up from her clipboard, flashing another toothy smile in my direction. "Yes, he'll be discharged tomorrow," she said nonchalantly. "We just want to check on him after his operation. You'll have him back in no time."

I really thought she was confused, talking about another Anthony Stark that was in this hospital. "Excuse me?" I questioned, my head jutting forward in confusion.

She wasn't confused. I was confused.

"His operation this morning," she echoed again.

Panic surged my heart as she spoke, the worst-case scenario flooding to the front of my brain. His wound could have become infected from the bullet grazing his side. His arc reactor could have failed after the ordeal last night. There were endless possibilities of something that could have gone wrong.

I was wrong to think that everything was going to work out, per usual.

"What operation?" I spluttered, my eyes widening.

The nurse was clearly shocked by my lack of knowledge, frantically flipping through papers on her clipboard. Guilt was shining in her eyes the longer she pretended to ignore me, and I was getting more anxious by the second. This wasn't going to end well for either of us.

"I'm afraid… that I can only disclose this information to family members," she tried to say. "Why don't we just get those tests over with?"

Oh, no. That was not going to work with me.

"How about you discharge me now so I can find my idiot of a boyfriend who decided to not tell me he was getting an operation?" I practically spat, my eyebrows skyrocketing to the top of my forehead.

The nurse shook her head, backpedaling her words in her head. "I'm afraid-" she started to repeat herself, but I shot her a deeper glare.

"You do know who we are, right?" I asked, hating how I was playing the fame card. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Right away, Ms. Maitland," she said immediately, handing over a few sheets of discharge papers for me to sign. I didn't even bother reading them. I now had bigger priorities.

She pointed to a separate room down the hallway, concern lacing her expression. "He's down the hall," she replied, hoping that I wasn't going to fire her on the spot. Luckily for her, I no longer cared about her mistakes.

As soon as she removed herself from the room, I threw on my clothes at lightning pace before darting down the hall, searching for the room the nurse pointed out a few minutes prior. As it turned out, I didn't even need to find the room itself.

Breathing out a small sigh of relief, I practically sprinted the rest of the way down the hall when I saw Rhodey standing outside, looking exactly how I felt.

"Rhodey!" I called out a second later, my anxiety fading slightly. If Rhodey was here and not completely torn up, then everything was not lost.

He glanced over his shoulder towards me in surprise. "Em?" he asked aloud.

I didn't waste a second to yank him into a tight hug, not caring how hard I was squeezing him. The last time I saw him, he was flying off to save the President, and I was a literal hot mess. It was amazing what twenty-four hours could bring about.

"Thank God you're okay," I whispered, pulling away and shaking my head. "I couldn't stand it if I lost you too." From the thankful look Rhodey was giving me in return, I knew he felt the same way.

I glanced to the side, peering through the window in the room where Tony was unconscious. Whatever procedure he underwent was over, but I knew the effects of anesthesia when I saw it. He was knocked out for a little while longer.

"What the hell happened?" I asked before Rhodey could get another word out, concern lacing my tongue.

Rhodey shot me another look of surprise. It seemed I was full of those today. "He didn't tell you?" he questioned.

"Do you think I'd be asking you if he did?"

He smirked at my sarcastic tone, shaking his head. At least none of us lost our sense of humor along the way. "He found a way to get the shrapnel removed without any permanent damage," he said softly, switching his gaze to his best friend lying in bed. "It worked."

I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. It was his choice to undergo the surgery which meant that it wasn't anything that was a consequence of our actions. Still, it was his choice, and he didn't tell me.

"Doesn't he realize how risky that-" I tried to complain, my body feeling washed with complete comfort that we were all safe once more. We all needed a vacation from this superhero life.

"Em, it worked."

His words shook me out of the reverie I felt myself in, and I looked back in Rhodey's direction, my eyes scanning his body language. He cared for Tony almost as much as I did. He was here, even when I couldn't be. He would go to the ends of the Earth for either of us, and I never really appreciated that until now.

"Thank you," I found myself saying a second later. "For being there for him, even before I was around. I- I never told you that, and I'm sorry."

Rhodey looked taken aback for a second by my words. "He's my best friend," he said simply. "Of course, I'll always be there for him."

"I know that," I responded, my tone softening. "I also know that since I came into the picture, since New York, things have been different. I never want you to feel excluded because of me, and I won't say I'm sorry for loving him, but-"

Thankfully, Rhodey saved me from my babbling. He placed his hand on my arm, tilting his head to one side. "Em, stop," he said, shaking his head with a smile. "Of all of the women that Tony's…. been with, you're the one." I raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. "I can't ever be mad that he's finally found love, and with someone who loves him for him, not his money and wealth. He may be an ass, but here's my advice for you. Don't let him go so easily." He paused. "I've never seen him like this before."

"Like what?" I asked, curiosity earning the better of me.

"Stronger, focused, determined. This is by far the best version of Tony Stark."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No pressure, right?" I teased.

"I'm glad you're okay," Rhodey said, moving his hand to my shoulder and gripping it tightly. "You gave us both a scare."

The corner of my mouth twitched up in a smirk. It was a poor attempt to hide exactly how much Rhodey's words meant to me. "What, are you concerned about me now too?" I asked.

He matched my smirk a second later, shaking my head. The three of us really did make a great team, and I was so lucky to have them both at my side through the bad and the good.

"Come on," he said, not answering my playful remark. "Someone's gonna be concerned that we're not standing at his bedside."

He gestured into the room where Tony was stirring, the side effects of the surgery fading from his system. I knew the feeling well. I followed Rhodey inside, tilting my head to one side as Tony's eyes fluttered open. I sat at the edge of the bed, giving him room to adjust to his surroundings as he woke up. Tony frowned slightly as he glanced between Rhodey standing on one side of the bed and me sitting on the end.

"Hey sleepy head," I purred.

"You'd think this is my funeral or something based on the way you two look," he observed, his voice cracking from dehydration.

Rhodey chuckled, shaking his head. "It looks like it's about to be since you didn't tell a certain someone that you were getting a certain surgery," he said, gesturing in my direction.

"I didn't want to worry you," Tony defended himself, sending me an apologetic glance.

"Sure," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I'll kill you later."

A smirk passed across Rhodey's lips before he took a few steps closer to Tony's side. "How do you feel?" he questioned, his biggest concern for Tony's health first.

"One arc reactor lighter," Tony replied, reaching up and undoing the ties on his hospital gown to reveal the bandages crisscrossed across his chest. A few scars still remained, but there was no glowing blue light anymore.

My breath hitched in my throat, not used to seeing just skin where the arc reactor used to be. "Tony," I breathed out slowly. "You didn't have to-"

He didn't let me finish. "We all need to make progress sooner or later," he said with a genuine smile towards the both of us. He paused for a minute, the smirk returning to his face as he turned back towards me. "Besides, it'll make certain activities a lot more interesting."

I didn't even have to scold Tony before Rhodey made a face in our direction. "I am still here," he said with his usual exasperated tone.

"Oh, it's not like you don't already know," Tony replied, the smirk still plastered on his face.

"Yes," Rhodey immediately retorted. "I was there in Barcelona."

A blush flashed across my cheeks as he brought up one of the several adventures the three of us went on together. Still, the entire situation was quite humorous. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to resist a chuckle from exploding from my lips.

"What do you think?" Tony questioned, changing the subject away from embarrassing topics. I knew how much he loved to make Rhodey uncomfortable, but I was thankful for the distraction.

I tilted my head to one side with a tiny smile. "I think that I don't care what you look like," I said softly. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

"Again, I am still here," Rhodey pointed out, the annoyed expression still on his face.

Tony laughed out loud this time. "Come on Rhodes, you secretly want to join in on this love fest," he replied mid-chuckle.

"You're definitely wrong about that," Rhodey uttered with another shake of his head. "I'd stick around to spite you, but the President invited me to the White House to thank me for saving his life."

Tony had the audacity to look offended. "I didn't get an invite."

"You didn't save the President of the United States from a blazing inferno," Rhodey commented.

"Indirectly, I did."

I rolled my eyes at their usual bickering, semi-glad that things were slowly returning to normal. "We'll try not to miss you too much, Rhodey," I put in.

"I'll definitely not miss you," Rhodey countered, smirking in my direction before he nodded his leave. I shook my head at his retreating back, glancing back to where Tony was still half-chuckling.

I didn't blame Rhodey. I would ditch us for the President of the United States too.

"I thought he'd never leave," Tony said with one last laugh. A second later, I jumped slightly as he placed his hand on top of mine. "You seem better."

I shook my head, giving Tony another small smile. "I'm better knowing that you're okay," I replied. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I didn't mean to do that."

Looking down, I tried to let the panic subside in my brain as my rationalism began to take over again. "I'm trying to focus on the now," I said. "And right now, that's you and your sarcastic self."

I felt slightly guilty at the thought of something happening to Tony. I had died in front of me twice now, and that wasn't even the half of it. Here I was, freaking out for no apparent reason. I needed to get myself together.

"I love you," he whispered, earning my attention back to the man lying in front of me.

I leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling away with a satisfied expression. "I love you too," I echoed his response. "Even when you're the world's biggest idiot."

Tony laughed along with me, shaking his head. We had a long way to go, but I knew we were going to be just fine. In a few weeks, everything would be back to normal.

Or so I thought.


	25. Chapter 25

**EMERALD**

It was three weeks later that I found myself staring at the smartest minds working for Stark Industries. Granted, they were holograms in front of me, but I still felt intimidated.

The weeks that passed since Tony and I left the hospital were a blur. Without Pepper, I was the sole person left in charge of the company. Tony volunteered to come and help every now and then, but he was more interested in building new technology than the actual logistics. It wasn't my cup of tea either, but it was what I signed on for when I became CEO of the company.

Granted, the only reason that I became CEO in the first place was to try and save Stark Industries from falling into the hands of Aldrich Killian. That severely backfired anyway. This time, however, I was determined to do better. I wanted to be the person that people could look up to, the same way that I used to look up to Tony when he was in charge.

While I was on bedrest, I did all of the research that I possibly could about the company and the production of the industry over the next ten years. The little that I remembered from college days was slowly returning back to me the more that I read. Tony was constantly on my case about resting both my body and my brain, but I had work to do.

Stock prices had taken quite the dip since Pepper's arrest, and I even suggested to the board that I step down until all of this was resolved. Much to my dismay, they declined my offer. Apparently, it was better for the vision that I remained on as CEO to moral support amongst buyers and supporters. Once again, I was being used as a puppet show.

Unlike Aldrich, I was resolute in the fact that I was going to prove them all wrong. Sure, I wasn't a technological genius like Tony was, but I knew how to market and sell a product. The rest was down to delegation, something I begrudgingly became really good at.

That was how I found myself standing in front of about ten holographic faces from across the globe, all engineers working in different Stark Industries plants to help me market the next image. We needed a big breakthrough if we were going to put Pepper and Aldrich's mess behind us.

"So, you're telling me that by cutting hydro-electric funding to England and increasing production in factories at home, we'll double our earnings and make back what England owes us in a single year?" I recapped what they just informed me, my eyebrows skyrocketing to the top of my forehead.

One of the engineers nodded enthusiastically. "Specifically in the Texas, California and New Jersey plants," he responded. "Our focus there is on new products rather than the production of what we already know how to make."

If I wasn't in a business meeting, I would swear right in front of them. Shaking my head in disbelief, I squinted at the numbers printed out in front of me. They weren't wrong.

"How did you possibly come up with this solution?" I questioned, curiosity earning the better of me.

Another engineer shrugged her shoulders, trying not to look as excited as I knew they all were. "That's our jobs," she pointed out. If I didn't respect all of the employees before, I definitely did today.

I nodded at them all, a tiny smile crossing over my lips. "I know you're not used to me making the decisions around here," I said softly, understanding their initial hesitation to share confidential information with me. "And frankly, it's a lot of pressure on all of us to repair Stark Industries, but Tony trusts all of you and so do I. We're all learning here. Great work."

I pressed the end call button on my phone, watching the holograms disappear in one pop. I placed my hands back on the conference table, hanging my head as I heaved a sigh. This was way out of my league, and yet, I was pretty damn proud of myself for handling all of this. If only talking to the board of directors was that simple.

Shuffling my papers together, I tried to organize my thoughts on what the engineers just told me about production status, scribbling some notes down before I forgot them.

"For the record, I think you're doing a great job."

I practically levitated in the air at the sound of a voice in the doorway, not expecting anyone to be cutting into my thoughts. Still, I broke into a wide grin as I spun around, meeting Tony's eyes. My heart rate slowly returned to normal.

"Your company hasn't fallen into shambles yet," I observed. "Although if we don't do something about these stock prices, we're in deep shit."

"We'll rebound," Tony answered nonchalantly. I wished I had as much faith as he did. "We always do."

His presence at Stark Industries was more frequent than not over the past few weeks. His support was what kept me going, even when the board constantly shot down everything I said. He definitely had a way with them that I hadn't discovered yet.

Still, he wasn't supposed to be back in California until tomorrow. I didn't waste another minute to wrap my arms around him in a hug, not caring about the public display of affection that people were always yelling at me about.

"I missed you," I said softly, pulling away all too quickly. "How was your trip?"

"Happy's safely in the Caribbean taking a well-deserved vacation, Harvey has a lot of new toys to keep him occupied, and two more terrorists are behind bars."

Tony was traveling for the past week, making sure all loose ends were tied up before we got back to business. I wished I had the chance to meet Harvey, the kid who helped Tony rebuild the suit and find me, but alas, I was stuck here running a business. I didn't have the leisure time to jet off to different adventures anymore.

"Sounds more productive than me sitting here having no idea what I'm talking about," I joked.

Tony threw me a look, knowing how hard I was constantly working to understand everything. To reaffirm his point, he tossed a magazine in my direction, a smirk appearing on his face. To my dismay, it had a large headshot of me on the cover with the words "Stark's New Image" plastered at the bottom. I barely wanted to read the article, but if Tony was promoting it, maybe it wasn't all bad.

"They love you," Tony said, his eyes searching mine. "No matter if you know what you're talking about or not. Everyone knows you're doing a great job."

"They love you," I corrected, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just by association."

Tony shook his head, snatching the magazine back from my hands. "You're modest," he said, the knowing look returning to his face.

"You're not, so one of us has to be."

I laughed at Tony's reaction to my comment, scooping up the papers from my meeting. The board of directors could wait. Stock prices weren't going to repair themselves in two hours anyway. Besides, if they knew that Tony was in the building, I would have a better chance of actually getting my point across.

"We'll find someone to take over for real," he promised, judging my hesitant reply.

I was way over my head, sure, but I was treading water for now. I just wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last without someone at my side, pushing for the same positive change in the company that I was. I needed a new Pepper.

Sighing, I looked up from my papers, giving Tony the most serious glance I could muster. "We need to find someone to represent Pepper," I retorted.

"She has a lawyer, and she already pleaded guilty," Tony pointed out. Those were minor details anyway. Lawyers changed all of the time, or so that's what I learned from watching How to Get Away with Murder.

I shook my head. "There has to be something we can do," I said.

"You already did."

I lifted my head up, giving Tony a questioning look. He gave me a small smile, resting his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "You saved her life," he finished his statement.

Rolling my eyes, I shrugged his hand off, not wanting that pressure on my shoulders anymore. "To do what?" I cried. "Rot in jail?" The entire situation hardly seemed fair.

"That was her choice," Tony responded before he paused. "What's different about this?"

I pretended to not know what he was talking about. "About what?" I asked, putting on my best confused face.

"You know what I'm saying."

I did. I just didn't want to see all of the comparisons.

I heaved a sigh, hating that Tony was forcing me to actually say the words out loud. "You're asking why I'm fighting so hard to save Pepper when I shipped Val off to prison for practically the same reason," I finally said, venom lacing my words.

"Em."

"Maybe I thought I could save her this time," I said softly, shaking my head. "I tried to save Val, and I lost her. I thought I could save Pepper."

Tony gave me a look of pure sympathy, and I shook my head, frantically changing the subject. I couldn't think about this any longer without completely breaking down. I needed to save the anxiety for when I wasn't at work and constantly on display.

"So, what's next partner?" I asked, forcing a smile on my face. "How's your arc-reactorless chest?"

If he wanted to say anything else about the Pepper and Valencia correlation, he knew better than to push the subject. The conversation was officially tabled for later.

"For once, I don't have shrapnel creeping towards my heart, so I can't complain," he said.

I smirked, taking the opportunity of his good health to pop the next question. "You should come back to the company," I immediately responded.

The look Tony gave me in return was enough to have me chuckling. I practically asked him this question for the past two weeks straight.

"That is a terrible idea," came his typical response.

"What about as CEO then?" I tried a new angle. "I can be the owner of the company and sit back and boss you around."

Tony shook his head with a laugh of his own. "I just got rid of one health hazard," he retorted. "I don't really need another."

"You're ridiculous," I scolded, although I echoed his snicker.

"I have a few ideas in mind, don't worry," he answered. "I won't leave you for the wolves."

He held out his hand for me to take, but I continued to shake my head at his ludicrousness. Shifting my papers to my other arm, I accepted his hand, walking out into the hallway. I knew I was probably going to get a lecture from someone later about this, but I barely cared anymore.

Tony and I were one of the most gossiped about couples in the media these days. If there was a person on this planet that knew we weren't dating, I would be genuinely shocked.

"How are you feeling?" Tony said, jarring me from my thoughts.

I glanced up at him with a smile. "As good as new," I replied. "I do have a few upgrades in mind for the suits, though."

"Oh, you do?"

I had a feeling Tony wasn't expecting me to get back on the horse so soon. Still, I raised my eyebrow, trying to recall everything I read in my spare time. I barely knew what spare time was anymore.

"What do you think about having a suit shrink down to nano-rays?" I suggested.

If I recorded Tony's facial response and uploaded it online, it might get a million hits. I laughed, shaking my head. When I first read the research, I felt the same way.

"That's impossible," he finally said when he found his voice.

I smirked. "Darling, nothing is impossible," I responded before I shook my head. "But seriously, there's some research I found by a Hank Pym that really interested me."

"You've been going through my dad's research?" Tony asked, surprise ringing in his tone.

I wasn't entirely sure if he was surprised or angry, but I paused in our tracks, squeezing his hand gently. I knew how sore of a subject his parents were, and to be perfectly honest, I never really talked about mine either.

"He was onto a lot of things, Tone," I added with a reassuring grin. "I can see he passed along the genius things."

Only knowing what I knew about Howard Stark from watching the Captain America movie on repeat, I tried to immerse myself in this world the best that I could without looking completely crazy. At least with Tony, I passed it off as learning whatever I could to help our tag team.

"I like to think I got most of my genes from my mother," he replied after a moment's pause. He glanced down in my direction, his eyes brimming with sadness. "She would have loved you."

I wasn't expecting that.

My mouth forgot how to formulate words for a moment, so I continued to stare in his direction like a lost puppy.

"My mom," Tony repeated. "She would have really loved you."

I finally recovered from my clear shock for I shook my head, jerking myself back to the present. Daydreaming wasn't an option right at this moment.

"I think she would have loved to see her son so happy," I observed, smiling in response.

Tony tilted his head to one side, resuming our stroll down the hallways of Stark Industries. "And what about your parents?" he questioned.

That was a hard question to answer, given the whole alternate reality concept I kept forgetting about.

Still, I laughed off the bad feeling. "Once they got over the shock that I'm dating someone fifteen years older than me," I said honestly. "Yes." I paused, unable to stop a tiny chortle from escaping my lips again. "You are everything to me, and they would see that in both of us. So, the answer is still yes."

"Ms. Maitland?"

The unfamiliar voice bumped me from the sad thoughts flooding my head. Tony and I spun around in unison, staring at the worker standing behind us. I still had his hand clutched in my hand, and I tried to pass off the blush in my cheeks as best as I could.

"Yes?" I responded, leaning forward in anticipation. Whatever he had to say, I hoped it was worth the interruption.

"Oh." The worker, Pete I believed his name was, immediately took a few steps backward when his gaze shifted to Tony's. "Hi, Mr. Stark," he babbled. "I'm sorry for bothering you. It's nothing. It can wait."

If he didn't look so scared, I would have laughed at the entire situation.

Employees around here were so intimidated by Tony when he was probably the friendliest boss anyone could hope for. Even though, technically, he wasn't our boss anymore. No, that was me now. The thought sobered me almost instantly.

"Pete, right?" I asked. "What's going on? It's alright."

Pete froze for a few more seconds before he rested his terrified glance back on me. "You told me to alert you if there were any hits on your… portal theory," he said, his voice still shaking.

That was where I knew this guy from.

After Aldrich showed me his accomplishments for creating a portal between different universes, I felt obliged to test it out for myself. It was just me and Pete in the room when we first unsuccessfully tested it out. I kept it running in the background for the past couple of weeks, just to see if anything held true. For all I knew, it was another ploy by Aldrich to sway me to his side.

"Portal theory?" Tony questioned, his forehead crinkling in confusion.

Pete nodded, semi-enthusiastically. "Yeah," he started to blurt out. "She was-"

"Way over my head," I cut him off, not ready to explain everything just yet. "I was trying to see if something Killian said to me held true." I paused, directing my attention back towards Pete. "I don't need it anymore," I finally decided. "Shut it down."

Pete was relentless and, apparently, didn't know how to take no for an answer.

"But you got hits!" he exclaimed, his mouth running faster than his brain could catch up. "There was one in D.C. like today, and-"

"Pete," I interrupted again. "Shut it down."

Tony gave me an inquisitive glance at my insisting tone. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked one more time.

I nodded after a moment, smiling back up at Tony. "Yeah, I have everything I need right here," I said, feeling more relaxed than I was in a long time.

No matter if the portal existed or not, it no longer mattered. I had Tony back, I had my life back, and finally, things were returning to normal. I was back to my optimistic self.

I only had one more thing left to do.

* * *

Spotify Inspiration: Finally Got It Right - Parachute

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	26. Chapter 26

**EMERALD**

I had never seen Stark Mansion full of so many people until this very moment. The number of workers that were running amok, trying to piece back together what was destroyed in the bombing. It honestly was a weird sight to me.

Not having witnessed my house being demolished and rebuilt before, I wasn't exactly sure how to process the entire situation. I stood there, shaking my head with my arms folded across my chest. It was like watching snow fall. If I concentrated too hard on one person, my eyes went cross-eyed.

"I can't believe how fast everyone's working," I observed.

It was true. I felt like I was observing ants in an ant farm.

Tony laughed from where he was standing next to me. He seemed way more relaxed than I felt at this moment, but I chalked it up to the fact that he was used to rebuilding things. I, on the other hand, felt no emotion at all.

"That's because they know they're getting paid a ridiculous amount of money to finish this," he replied.

I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Granted, I knew he was a billionaire and money wasn't a concern of his, but I still wasn't used to that life. I needed a job and stability to feel like I wasn't hoarding off of Tony's money. It still drove me nuts how quickly he threw cash around.

"We still have work to do on Stark Tower," I pointed out, thinking about the damage it endured during the Battle of New York. It was in way better condition than our home here in Malibu, but it wasn't even close to being reopened yet.

Tony paused, a knowing look crossing his face. "You know, I had an idea," he said slowly, a small smile appearing across his lips. That was clearly his idea face. I came to know it well.

"That never ends well," I responded with a smirk.

He ignored me per usual. "What do you think about giving the others a piece of the tower?" he asked cautiously. "We can call it Avengers Tower."

I definitely wasn't expecting that for an answer.

As much as I missed the others, Pandora specifically, I knew they were all off on their own adventures, same as us. Having the Tower in New York would be an open door for a reunion. I wasn't going to turn that down.

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had," I said, a wide grin spreading across my cheeks.

Tony looked bewildered, shaking his head in disbelief that I actually didn't knock down his idea. As the more sensible individual in our relationship, I tended to keep him in check when he wanted to purchase new toys. Some days I felt like I had a child on my hands.

"Seriously?" he finally spluttered.

"Well, you do have a lot of great ideas," I backpedaled, not wasting the opportunity to tease him. "But count me in, Stark." I paused, turning away from the construction ahead of us. "Can you survive without me for a couple of hours?" I questioned softly.

It wasn't really a question.

I knew he was going to respond sarcastically with a denial, but I had other matters I needed to take care of. Well, just one.

"You're ditching me so soon?" he inquired, raising both of his eyebrows.

"We're both no longer on bed rest," I said. "You can't keep me tied down." I winked in his direction before heading towards one of our cars still in the driveway. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Tony hesitated for a second, sensing my apprehension about where I was heading in a split second. "Em," he responded sternly, the humor dropping from his tone. "Are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"I can't actually read your mind, so I have no idea what you're thinking," I said truthfully, blowing him a kiss over my shoulder. I didn't have time to argue with him about this. This was the last piece of the puzzle that I had to solve.

After all, I was a fixer.

"Em!" he shouted at my retreating back, but I pretended not to hear.

It was time to face my fears.

I felt a sense of déjà vu when I pulled up to the iron gates of the California State Prison. Granted, it wasn't the same prison that Valencia currently was held in, but I felt the same sense of dread as I did today. This time, however, I had a better plan than threatening the entire staff of the prison guards. Besides, this wasn't Tony's prison. I had no pull.

No one questioned who I was here to see, but I still felt the judgmental stares as I passed through the security line and headed towards the visitor's room. It was a few minutes of sitting there, observing other guests and their respective prisoners converse in hushed tones.

A buzz from the main door leading into the prison itself directed my attention back up to the front of the room. My breath caught in my throat as I met Pepper's eyes, led into the room by a single guard who gestured over to the table I was sitting at. She looked the same as she did on the ship, her body language radiating positivity while her eyes were hollow. That didn't worry me as much as the grey jumpsuit she was wearing. It was standard prison clothing, but it just looked wrong on her.

"Pepper," I breathed out when she finally sat down across from me.

"Nothing you can say can change my mind," was what she said before I could say another word otherwise.

I looked taken aback, shaking my head. "Hello to you too," I snapped.

"Why are you here, Emerald?" she questioned with a sigh. It was clear she was forced to be here, and it pained me to think about the number of times she tried to deny my request for visitation. I didn't want her to feel forced anymore.

"You don't deserve to be in here," I commented, pity shining on my face.

Pepper scoffed, looking down at her handcuffed hands. "Yes, I do," she said. "A year ago, you would have loved to see me in here. What happened?"

I wasn't quite sure how to answer that question initially. She was trying to hurt my feelings as much as possible to push me away, but I was here with a mission. I wasn't going to be deterred any longer by Pepper Potts.

"I realized we're a lot alike," I finally responded honestly. "You saved all of our lives."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "From what I heard, that was all you," she replied. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes dancing over my skin. "How are you doing, by the way? What happened to the Extremis?"

"I'm fine and Extremis-free," I said curtly. I knew what she was trying to do. "Stop trying to change the subject. You tried to sacrifice yourself, and I want to know why."

That wasn't the real reason I was here, but I wanted her to start talking about her again. She clearly felt guilty and responsible for the widespread of Extremis in California, let alone the globe, but she still was just a puppet. Just like I was.

I was doing the duty that I promised to tell her side of the story. I wasn't giving up just because she was arrested for now.

"I'm done hiding," Pepper answered. "I'm tired of playing the Tony card. I want to own up to my actions."

The Tony card was one that we were both familiar with due to our relations with Tony. All someone had to do was mention his name, and we would be considered on a completely different level. Honestly, it was remarkable.

It reminded me of Valencia.

Shaking my head, I leaned back against the headrest of the chair. "He was right," I finally whispered.

"Tony?" Pepper echoed with a confused expression.

"He asked me why I was trying to save you so badly when I turned my back on Valencia."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's a question I would have too," she said, her honesty winning over her personality again.

"He was right," I repeated again in disbelief.

A part of me knew he was right deep down, but I hadn't wanted to consider the possibility that I was trying to redeem my actions. As I said, I was a fixer.

The thought sent me skyrocketing to my feet, pressing my hands into the metal table in front of me. All the sentiment that I came here to express to Pepper flew out of my head. Suddenly, I only had one thing on my mind.

"What are you doing?" Pepper questioned, hesitating towards my sudden outburst of action.

"I'm going to see her," I said, the decision firm in my mind. "Something I should have done a year ago."

Rolling her eyes, Pepper leaned forward in exasperation. "I'm not your therapist, Em," she said, her eyes darting towards the clock in the room.

Her comment sobered me in a second, and I sat back down, my gaze steady. I came here for a reason, and here I was, leaving with a new purpose. I wasn't going to just save one life this time.

"I know someone who can help you," I uttered slowly. "I'm not saying you should get away scot-free," I continued, sensing her own reluctance to listen. "I mean you did kidnap me and steal my blood and-"

"I get the point."

I shook my head, my mind immediately wandering to the different lawyers I researched across the country. If Pepper wasn't motivated to find a new lawyer for herself, I was.

"There's a way around this," I said, leaning forward to lower my voice to a murmur. "If you plead that Killian was controlling or blackmailing you-"

She wouldn't even let me finish my statement. "I'm not lying," she snapped.

"It's not completely a lie," I replied, giving her a convincing look. "You barely knew what you were doing." Shaking my head, I knew I wasn't leaving here with a clear answer. I was here to simply plant the seed of an idea. "Just think about it," I said before she could shoot me down again. "There's apparently a really great lawyer in Hell's Kitchen that specializes in lost-cause cases."

"Emerald."

I stood up again, a small smile crossing my lips. "Anything is better than prison," I stated truthfully. "I'm going to look him up whether you like it or not."

This lawyer was only one of many that I researched, but he seemed the most promising. It was the least I could do for Pepper right now.

"Emerald."

"What?" I retorted, my smile dropping at her insistence.

She sighed, a content look crossing her face for the first time since we sat down. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for believing in me. As much as I didn't like you before, I can see what Tony sees in you now. You truly are his other half."

I stood there speechless as Pepper nodded towards her guard, immediately scooping her up and leading her out the door that they came in. Shaking my head, I started my saunter towards the exit of the prison, feeling significantly better than I did a few minutes earlier.

I had plans.

I had plans for myself, for Valencia, for Pepper, and most importantly, I had plans that gave me a purpose. That was the reason we were all here, after all.


	27. Chapter 27

**EMERALD**

I felt lighter than air when I finally returned to Stark Mansion. I was motivated, determined, and for once, everything seemed to be going my way. I didn't dare say it out loud. I knew that would end up in instant karma.

Tony was waiting for me in the den when I walked through the door. Of the rooms in the house, the first level seemed to be the most finished. The construction workers left for their lunch break, to which I was thankful for. I needed to discuss my revelations with Tony alone.

"So, how was she?" he questioned, not even looking up from where he was tinkering with some metal contraption in his hands.

I smirked. He really did know everything.

"Determined to pay for her crimes," I said with a sigh, putting my purse down on a nearby chair. "I want to help her, but I don't know what to do."

That wasn't entirely the truth. I already made up my mind about contacting the lawyer in Hell's Kitchen. I just wasn't sure what his response was going to be.

"I do."

Tony's response surprised me. I sat on the adjacent couch, tilting my head to one side. "You do?" I asked.

He finally set the trinket down and glanced up with a tiny grin. "You think that if you can help her, you'll feel better about what happened," he responded. "I did the same thing in the Middle East. Hell, I still am."

I shook my head, not wanting to admit that he was right yet again. "I just want to do some good again," I replied, "and actually feel like I'm doing good."

"We will," he promised. "We're Iron Man and Iron Woman."

Wincing at the use of my supposed superhero name, I threw Tony a look. He was grinning despite my annoyed glance. Everyone knew how much I hated that name. This time, however, I had something to replace it with.

"No," I said softly. "I'm done with nicknames. Everyone knows who I am, and if anything, I just proved to the world that I don't need a fancy suit to be a superhero. I don't need a nickname. I'm just me."

Tony's face softened the longer I spoke. I was endlessly proud of myself, but seeing the same gratitude plastered on his own features was the selling factor for me.

"And who is that?" he asked, waiting for the big reveal.

Plot twist, there wasn't one.

"Emerald Maitland."

Shaking his head in total awe, Tony got to his feet, wandering over to the fridge to open a bottle of wine. "I think we can work with that," he responded with a wide smile.

I needed to hear that, as much as I hated validation.

Following his pathway into the kitchen, I watched him open the refrigerator and close it a second later, emerging victorious with his bottle of Cabernet. My eyes remained glued to the fridge even after it was shut, my mood instantly dropping.

Tony had actually taped the magazine cover to the front of the fridge.

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously?" I questioned, gesturing to the array of magnets covering the picture.

"What?" Tony exclaimed, popping open the cork. "You're my sexy new boss."

"I am not the boss of you," I clarified with a toss of my head. "You made that very clear."

I still hadn't read the article on my newfound rise to corporate life, but a piece of me never wanted to. The public's validation was not something that I desired anymore, especially since I was barely staying afloat at the company.

"There's going to be a day when something happens, and a perfect candidate will just fall into our laps," Tony said, optimism shining in his voice.

I threw him another skeptical look. Those things never happened around here, and when they did, it was on the heels of something disastrous. I knew how the world worked in the life of superheroes. I was planning on taking this break while I still could.

"Oh, yeah?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "And when is that going to happen? Ten years?"

I was half-joking, but Tony was on the same wavelength as I was. "I got your back, Em," he said, clinking his wine glass with my own.

Smiling, I nodded again in his direction, taking a small sip of the wine. "That I have no doubt," I said truthfully before I set the glass back on the table. "There's one last thing that I need to do."

"I thought this was your day off," complained Tony, and I almost laughed at the puppy-dog face he was giving me.

"You were right."

At my sudden outburst, Tony mimicked my movements from earlier, setting the glass down on the kitchen counter and leaning forward slightly.

"I'm sorry," he clarified. "I thought you just said that I was right."

That earned a soft chuckle from my corner of the kitchen. "I did," I replied. "Don't expect to hear it again." I paused, thinking of how I was going to explain my revelation from earlier. "Pepper and I were never as close as Val and I were," I finally said. "Maybe that's why I didn't see history repeating itself. Maybe I'm cursed. Either way, I was wrong to push Val away. She hurt me, she destroyed our childhood memories, she chose Loki over me, and yet, I'm the one who pushed her away. I should have been there for me. That's on me."

Tony's expression showed nothing but sympathy for my words, but that wasn't the reaction I wanted. I was finally motivated to be a fixer for the right reasons.

"She's still a criminal," he pointed out.

"I know, but she's also still my friend," I responded. "I'm going to help Pepper out of this mess, and I'm going to see Valencia."

Tony paused for a minute, thinking over my words. "I'm proud of you," he finally replied, a true smile crossing his face. I wasn't sure if he was happy with my decision, but I knew he could see the conviction in my eyes. I was proud of myself too.

"I just finally know what I have to do," I uttered. "For the first time, I feel like I have a purpose again."

He enveloped me in a hug a second later, his head resting on my shoulder. "Just don't forget about me when you're rich and famous all on your own," he teased, pulling away with a smirk.

I laughed. "How could I?" I responded with a quip of my own. "I kind of like you."

I watched as Tony grabbed his car keys from the side of the fridge, raising an eyebrow in my direction. At first, I thought he was finally going to let me drive one of his sports cars, but I knew that was way out of the question. My forehead crinkled in a frown as he just stood there, staring at me.

"I'm coming with you," he ultimately said, earning a surprised look from me.

"You don't have-" I tried to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me in my tracks.

"I want to be there for you," he said. "I don't need to invade on your moment, but I want to be there waiting on the sidelines when you're ready."

I really didn't deserve him.

We were about halfway to the prison that Valencia was being held in before a wave of déjà vu hit me like a truck. Only this time, I wasn't alone.

I hadn't really thought about what would happen once I saw her. The last time I was here, I basically threatened the entire guard staff to get their priorities straight. I hadn't received a call since so I considered that good news. This time, I was here to actually talk to Valencia face to face. There was a very high possibility that she would not welcome my appearance, but it was up to me to keep trying.

She was worth it.

My phone rang a few moments later with an unknown caller ID. Frowning, I stared at it for a moment, letting the wind sail past my ears with the top down on the car. It didn't take long for curiosity to get the better of me, and I stabbed the answer button, holding the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered apprehensively.

"You alright?"

The voice on the other end was one I hadn't heard from in almost a year now, but I instantly felt calmer listening to it.

Breathing out a long sigh, the hand gripping my phone immediately untensed. "Yeah, Steve, we both are," I said softly. "But I think I should be asking you that question."

I had no idea where in the world Steve Rogers was, but I was certain he was not where Pandora was. Still, it felt like he was right next to me. He paused at my remark, not wanting to say too much. I understood how that felt. We all had a lot of trust issues.

"I don't think you want the answer to that," he finally remarked.

He was probably right.

"I'm surprised you called," I replied instead, changing the subject away from dangerous waters.

Steve's tone of voice sounded shocked at my reply. "You're my friend, Emerald," he pointed out. "If I didn't trust Tony, I would have gone after you myself."

An involuntary smile crossed my lips at his remark. "That… means a lot, Steve," I said softly. It really did. With everything that was happening lately, it was nice to know that I still had some friends outside of Los Angeles.

"Your friend and I might have gone our separate ways," he answered. "But I want you to know that I have your back whenever you need me."

I sighed contently. "Thank you. It seems that I'm running short on friends as of lately."

"I know what it feels like," he replied, his voice getting more serious by the second. "To think you know people."

"Yeah."

I wasn't sure how else to respond to a statement like that. For the first time, I wondered what really happened between Steve and Pandora. From what Pandora briefly mentioned, she was joining SHIELD full-time, and Steve wasn't. From the dejection clearly heard in Steve's voice, however, I knew there was a bigger story.

"Have you… heard from her?" he asked reluctantly.

Biting my lip, I tried to play it off as coolly as I could. The last thing I wanted was to make matters worse.

"Not in a while," I said honestly. "SHIELD was banned from helping us with the Mandarin. I wasn't sure if they shut off all communications with us too."

"You know her. She can be pretty persistent."

That forced a chuckle out of my system. "That's the understatement of the century," I uttered before I paused, feeling the need to say something on behalf of my friend. "I'm sorry, Steve. I'm sure she'll come around eventually."

Steve cleared his throat, hiding his emotions as best as he could. "Where are you?" he questioned, changing the subject once more. "It sounds like you're in a wind tunnel."

"Oh, we're driving, sorry," I apologized, turning over to glance at where Tony was still focused on the road ahead of him. "I'm going to see Valencia, something I should have done earlier."

"What do you mean?" asked Steve a moment later.

I knew he would be apprehensive about visiting her, especially after the state he found me the last time I spoke to Valencia one on one.

"She's being held nearby," I said. "I need…" I trailed off, not sure where I was going with my flailing statements. "She should know that she hasn't lost everyone."

Steve paused, not really saying much after that. I wasn't sure what else there was to say. "Good luck, Emerald," he whispered so softly that I barely heard it.

"Thank you, Steve," I responded, hoping that this wasn't going to be the last time we talked for another year. "I really hope I don't need it."

As I hung up the phone, I rested my gaze back on Tony's. He didn't say a word, didn't question what Steve was doing calling me, but I knew he was happy that we had friends on the other side. Avengers Tower was sounding better and better by the minute.

I felt happy and carefree, and as soon as I talked to Valencia, another weight would be lifted off my shoulders.

The universe didn't feel that way.

When we pulled up to the prison that Valencia was being held in, my heart dropped to my stomach. Tony practically threw the car into park as soon as we were in the main driveway, and I stood up in the car, taking off my sunglasses.

Half of the prison was in shambles, smoke still billowing out from the side that looked like it had been bombed not hours earlier. I threw Tony a horrified glance, half-wondering why he hadn't received notice of the attack. He donned an equally dismayed expression, and the question died on my lips.

Whatever happened here, I had a sickening feeling it had to do with Valencia.

"Oh, this is so not good."

* * *

**A/N: **Dun dun dUNNNN. That's all folks omigod we finally made it. You knew I couldn't leave you with a happy ending right? At least Tony and Emerald are happy together again, but as for Pepper (kudos to everyone who spotted that blink and you miss it Matt Murdock reference) and now Val, their stories are still wide open. Until next time, Emerald Maitland. Stay tuned for the epilogue later this weekend. xoxo

Spotify Inspiration: Home - Gabrielle Aplin

[Full Playlist Link located at the end of the first chapter.]


	28. Epilogue

**PANDORA**

To be fair, I waited twenty-four hours.

Everyone at SHIELD headquarters warned me up and down not to watch the news. We were only tasked to help when Fury decided it was time to help, which personally I thought was a load of bullshit. Still, I tried to be a team player.

That was until I saw Emerald was kidnapped. I had no idea this Mandarin character even existed before yesterday and now, he was holding my best friend hostage. A part of me knew Tony was already on his way to get her, but the rational part of my brain wasn't functioning as of lately.

If it wasn't for Sharon Carter, I honestly would have left SHIELD behind in that exact moment. She was right, per usual. In less than a day, the Mandarin was behind bars, and my best friend was safe.

Still, I didn't feel safe.

That was how I found myself walking around the streets of Washington D.C. twenty-four hours later, trying to clear my head. I hoped some fresh air would calm my nerves, but so far, nothing was helping. As close as Natasha and I became, she wasn't Emerald or Valencia, and she definitely wasn't Steve.

My hands started to involuntarily shake at the mention of the latter, and I immediately stuffed them in my pockets, refusing to give it a second thought. My fingertips traced the outline of the gun in my right coat pocket, trying to feel something real in that moment. My brain had the tendency to wander off without me realizing it.

I blamed what happened next on that.

A click sounded from behind my head, and I froze where I stood, recognizing the sound instantaneously. It was the sound of someone pulling back the trigger of a gun.

I cursed myself for not paying more attention to my surroundings. Clearly, I was followed, and I should have been able to pick up on that.

"Go in that alleyway now."

Her voice was familiar like one I heard in movies before, but I barely had time to think about who the mystery person might be. I was a little more concerned about whether she was going to shoot me or not. For that reason alone, I kept my hands in my pockets, my right hand still wrapped around my gun.

"What do you want with me?" I questioned as I moved slowly into the alleyway that she pointed to. If I was about to engage in a fight, I definitely wanted answers first.

She didn't even hesitate, making me question her credibility even more.

"Take me to Steve Rogers," she drawled. "You're his girl now, aren't you?"

There was that name again.

I heaved a heavy sigh, not in the mood to spill my internal secrets. "I wouldn't consider myself his girl in the way that you're implying," I said softly, distracting the intruder from what I was about to do. "But…"

I trailed off, whipping around in the middle of my sentence and knocking her gun out of her hand. Taking satisfaction in the way it scattered across the concrete, I smiled, drawing my own gun from my pocket and pointing it towards her. In that split second it took me to pull my weapon, however, she reached in the back of her pants and yanked out her own gun, matching the one from earlier.

"Agent Romanoff trained me," I said, keeping my aim at eye level. She didn't budge either. "But you aren't too bad yourself."

"I know who you are," she responded, her gun never wavering.

I tilted my head to one side, doing my best to analyze her movements. From the way she reacted, she was definitely government issued. If I had to guess, she was probably military trained, recruited to join the agency after her tour. Still, there were a lot of agents out there, myself included, and if she knew my history, I was clearly a target for some reason.

"Funny," I retorted, trying not to display my confusion. "I don't know who you are-"

I broke off a second later as I took a step in her direction, letting the moonlight wash over both of our faces. When I saw hers, however, I felt a chill wash over my skin, and it had nothing to do with the nonexistent wind.

I knew her.

Not personally, but I knew her. We all did.

"Holy shit," I swore, recognition dawning on my face. From the smirk she gave me in response, she was expecting this reaction. "Holy shit."

Shaking my head, I refused to believe that I was seeing things clearly. I lightly tapped her gun with my own, making sure that she wasn't a figment of my imagination. Update, she wasn't.

"Give me a second," I croaked out, shifting my gun to my non-dominant hand and pulling out my cell phone. I thanked God I had my contacts on speed dial for I definitely wouldn't be able to do anything with the way my hands resumed their shaking.

Emerald picked up on the second ring.

"What the hell, Dora?" she asked, irritation hitting her voice. "Do you know what time it is here?"

It was the middle of the night, yeah, but this was a classified emergency.

"I used to live in California, thank you very much," I retorted, never taking my eyes off of the person standing before me. "We have a slight problem."

She sighed from the other end, and I heard her shifting where she was sitting. I figured she was moving into another room to not wake Tony.

"If only you knew what just happened to me over the past couple of weeks, I think we can deal with a slight problem," she said. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I already knew everything that happened already, or at least, the concept of it. "We fixed the movies. What's the issue now?"

If only she knew how wrong she was.

"We didn't fix the movies," I whispered in a low tone of voice, unable to say much of anything else.

I could almost hear Emerald's exasperated expression from the other end. "Of course, we did," she said. "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe we fixed a single movie, but I don't think this is supposed to happen."

"You're not making any sense," she snapped. "Slow down."

I hadn't realized how rushed I sounded until she told me to slow down. I was so consumed in getting a second opinion about what was happening to me that I didn't even think about how I sounded. The panic was creeping back in my system.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to collect my thoughts before I said anything else. "There is a gun pointed to my head by someone who is supposed to be dead," I finally said.

"What!"

Mission not accomplished.

"Wait, Emerald-" I attempted to explain, but she was already frazzled by my words. Whoops.

"Pandora, where are you?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm, before she pulled the phone away from her ear, trying to get Tony's attention. "Tony! We need to go!"

This was definitely not what I wanted to happen.

"No, no, no," I quickly spit out. "I've got it handled. I have a gun too, but that's not the point."

"Then, what is the point?"

The person standing before me was growing irritated by the second. I no longer felt that she was going to shoot me in any way. There was no doubt in my mind that she needed me alive to accomplish what she wanted to accomplish.

"I don't think this is supposed to happen," I murmured, my eyes burning holes into the woman before me.

I really didn't mean to be as cryptic as I was sounding, but words weren't really working for me right now. To be fair, I had a good excuse.

"What?" Emerald questioned sternly. "Why not?"

Another inhale and exhale passed through my system in one last attempt to slow my heartbeat. There was no other way to beat around the bush. The secret was out.

"Because I'm staring at a living, breathing, very young Peggy Carter."

* * *

**A/N: **Did you really think I would give you all of the answers though? :))) GUYS, WE MADE IT. And I for one am SUPER excited for the next installment in the series, based off of The Winter Soldier. It's honestly my favorite so far, and I'm stoked to see what you all think. Thank you for sticking around and reading, and don't forget to subscribe to me so you get the notifications when I post the first chapter of The Winter Soldier! Love all of your support and comments, I wouldn't be doing this without you guys xoxo

You'll Never See Me Coming Full Playlist: open dot spotify dot com /playlist/4ZXdoN8dKxPIIUlFIWxejd?si=-tBzDvqRRAqY9tteCyTE3A


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